A source close to Prince Charles has claimed he intends to pay Prince William £700,000 per year to rent Highgrove House, when he becomes King, meaning he would not stay in Buckingham Palace.
Reports claim the future King is desperate to continue living in Gloucestershire when he replaces his mother Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
It was widely believed that the Prince of Wales would follow the Queen and move into Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle when he ascends the throne.
However, a friend claims Prince Charles intends to do the opposite and will stay with his wife Camilla at the country house near Tetbury that he has spent decades restoring to his taste.
Not only that, reports suggest he has plans to extensively downsize the royal quarters at Buckingham Palace, which currently includes 52 Royal and guest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms, according to Gloucestershire Live.
According to a report in the Daily Mail he plans to downsize and turn the monarch’s pad at Buckingham Palace into little more than ‘a flat above the shop’.
The report claims Prince Charles has already met with courtiers to discuss his plans for a slimmed down monarchy which will include a shake up of the royal residences.
A friend of Charles told the MailOnline that Charles had no intention of moving into Buckingham Palace full-time after a ten-year, £369 million renovation project is complete.
Although he knows the reigning monarch must officially live at Buckingham Palace so it remains a working royal palace rather than a visitor attraction, it will not be his family home.
“Despite what everybody thinks about him wanting to live there, he will certainly have accommodation there – but it will be a much more modest flat-above-the-shop situation akin to that of the Prime Minister at Downing Street,” said the source.
The friend also dismissed suggestions Charles would move his court to Windsor because the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns Highgrove, will automatically pass to William when Charles becomes King.
According to the MailOnline the Cambridges will move into Windsor Castle and Charles will pay William £700,000 a year rent to stay in the Gloucesteshire home where he has lived for decades.
“Charles is not keen on Windsor because it is quite noisy,’ the source added.
“His view is that if he’s heading to Windsor, he may as well carry on to Highgrove in Gloucestershire.”
Apparently The Prince of Wales strongly believes that the palaces can no longer be simply royal residences and must be open to the public.
But he is keen not to let them go completely because the younger royals will need somewhere to live.
The rest of the Royal Family are said to be concerned about the plans which include turning the main castle at Balmoral into a museum to the Queen, but Charles keeping his private home on the estate, Birkhall.
Princess Anne and her extended family have nothing to worry about because their home at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire was a wedding present from the Queen to her daughter.
Prince Edward can also stay at Bagshot Park and The Duke of York will keep his home at Park Lodge in Windsor Great Park says the source, but the minor royals could see their royal living quarters changed.
Clarence House was originally earmarked for Prince Harry but now he lives in America the Queen Mother’s apartments could become the London home of Prince George, Princess Charlotte or Prince Louis when they grow up.
The source says the Cambridges want to keep Anmer Hall in Norfolk and will inherit Llwynywermod, the Welsh home of the Prince of Wales through the Duchy.
