Prince William is reportedly preparing to forgo Buckingham Palace as his official residence when he ascends to the throne, marking a significant departure from royal protocol that dates back nearly two centuries.
Sources close to the royal household told The Times that William and his wife, Princess Kate, have no plans to relocate their family to the central London palace, which has served as the monarch's primary residence since 1837.
"I'm pretty sure that they won't move into BP. You can't imagine him saying, 'Great, let's move back to central London,'" a well-placed insider told The Times. Privacy and stability for the couple's three children are said to be central to the decision. "He'll be asking, if [the children] are still young when I take on the big job, how do I maintain that privacy?" the source added.
The choice to remain outside the capital reflects Prince William's efforts to shape his future reign on his own terms, blending royal duty with a more modern, family-centered approach.
"William has played a very smart hand. He has chosen it. He has shaped it as he wanted to," the source said. "He was thinking about this early because he didn't want to drift and then find that he hadn't had a say in it. It's one of the defining qualities of the man."
The decision appears to align with William's broader vision for a more streamlined monarchy and a quieter personal life. He is reportedly committed to continuing everyday responsibilities such as school runs, which would be more difficult from the highly public Buckingham Palace.
Royal author Tom Quinn stated that internal planning for William's eventual succession has been underway for years, due in part to King Charles III's age.
"The people I've spoken to have said that the succession planning, as they call it, began even before Charles' diagnosis," Quinn said. "I mean, he's the oldest Prince of Wales to become king in history, so succession planning had begun before Charles came to the throne simply because of the age issue."
