The Queen is leaving Buckingham Palace for good and making Windsor Castle home—'She has her memories with Prince Philip there'

The Queen leaving Buckingham Palace follows her rediscovering ‘the happiness of their early years together’, sources say

The Queen is leaving Buckingham Palace to live in Windsor Castle
(Image credit: Getty)

The Queen is leaving Buckingham Palace for good, reports say. Her Majesty is said to be preparing to make Windsor Castle her main residence, a place where she has memories with the late Prince Philip.

Whereas Windsor Castle has long been known as the weekend residence of the Queen, it will now become her permanent home.

It is understood Her Majesty has not spent a night in central London’s Buckingham Palace since March 2020 and has chosen to officially remain in Windsor Castle.

The Queen is said to have enjoyed her time at Windsor Castle, the last home she shared with the late Prince Philip

(Image credit: Bettmann / Getty)

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are set to be the next royals to take up residence at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince of Wales is said to prefer his London residence Clarence House but understands that Buckingham Palace should remain “monarchy HQ”.

Her Majesty has lived at the central London palace throughout her historic seventy year reign but spent much of lockdown at her home in England’s Berkshire county after relocating with Prince Philip at the start of the pandemic.

Sources say the couple “rediscovered the happiness of their early years together” during this time, and it is believed the Queen prefers life in Windsor.

It is believed she is instead opting for a slight change to the usual, and is expected to meet dignitaries and officials at her Berkshire home.

Windsor Castle is where many of the Royal Family's earliest memories were made

(Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The decision to make the move may also have been influenced by ongoing renovations at the palace which are not expected to be complete until 2027.

Hugo Vickers, a royal author and deputy lord lieutenant of Berkshire, who knows the Queen, has said, “Windsor is the place she loves. She has her memories with Prince Philip there, she has her ponies there and family nearby. It makes sense.”

Her move will see her closer to Prince Andrew, who lives at Rowe Lodge on the Windsor Estate, and Prince Edward who lives with his family at Bagshot Park, just a short drive away. 

Jack Slater
Freelance writer

Jack Slater is not the Last Action Hero, but that's what comes up first when you Google him. Preferring a much more sedentary life, Jack gets his thrills by covering news, entertainment, celebrity, film and culture for woman&home, and other digital publications.


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