A former royal butler has revealed why King Charles opted to live in royal residences other than the famous London Palace, and what he thinks will come of the landmark building when Prince William ascends the throne
With the Prince and Princess of Wales preparing to move into their “forever home” of Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate, many started to wonder what would become of Buckingham Palace when William becomes King.
William will reportedly stay in the Windsor home when he ascends the throne, rather than move into one of the more prominent royal residences. This major break to tradition has called the future of the London Palace into question, with a former royal butler sharing his thoughts on what lies in store for Buckingham Palace.
Grant Harrold, who worked as King Charles ’ butler at Highgrove between 2004 and 2011, believes William’s desire to stay in Windsor is following in the footsteps of his father, who also decided to not call Buckingham Palace home during his reign. It comes after William and Harry’s shock realisation with one thing still in common.
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Harrold said that during his seven years working with the royal family, talks were happening behind closed doors over where Charles would live, decades before he became King.
The former royal butler exclusively told the Mirror : “I’m not even surprised that Charles never moved in to Buckingham Palace, because even when I was there, there was talk about him not moving in because he prefers Birkhall, Highgrove or Clarence House. Buckingham Palace is just the office.”
While many have started to question what will become of Buckingham Palace, Harrold believes William’s reign as King will usher in a new era for the famous royal residence, as he never wished to spend his days as King in a huge royal mansion.
He said, “When it comes to William, he is used to smaller houses like Highgrove because he didn’t grow up in the huge palaces or castles.”
Harrold added: “So I think there’ll be a transition where Windsor becomes the hub of the monarchy, as Forest Lodge is on the Windsor estate, that whole area will become royal HQ. I think Windsor will become the embodiment of the Firm as William and Kate move into their forever home.”
When asked what he thought is in store for Buckingham Palace when William becomes King, he said: “Buckingham Palace could just be open year round as a tourist hotspot, while also operating as the royal office, because it is such a landmark of the royal institution.”
The former royal butler also believes that William’s desire to live in Forest Lodge, rather than a more grand royal residence, also stems from his years of charity work to eradicate homelessness in the UK.
He said: “William has long championed homelessness causes, and it’s a bit hard to support the homeless when you’re living in your massive castle, so I think he’s aware of that. Living in Forest Lodge will be a lot cheaper than living in Buckingham Palace, and he realises that.”
Grant Harrold’s book The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service is available from August 28.
