Royal Expert Explains Why Prince William Doesn't "Love" the Idea of Moving Into One Iconic Property, Which Would Be Akin to "Camping in a Museum"

The historic building has been thought of as an "empty facade," the expert explained.

Prince William wears a navy suit and looks down at the ground, while wife Kate Middleton wears a black suit and has long brown golden hair
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It was recently confirmed that Princess Kate and Prince William would be leaving their "modest" Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage, in favor of the much larger Forest Lodge. The mansion is being described as the Prince and Princess of Wales's "forever home," and they seemingly have no intention of leaving the estate, even once William becomes king. Now, one royal expert has shared why Prince William is so averse to living at Buckingham Palace, despite Royal Family tradition.

"I don't think it was ever loved," royal biographer and expert Robert Lacey told The Telegraph of Buckingham Palace. "If you read what kings have said in their diaries, it was always seen as an office. I think, actually, as an office it has been very successful. As a ceremonial figurehead for the Royal Family, as the place that visitors identify with, it's been a great success."

A royal source told the publication that Kate and William's "move" to Forest Lodge is "for the long term," suggesting they're unlikely to move their children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—again. "It is the family's intention to stay in their new home after [the] reign change." The source also claimed that the Prince of Wales would handle Buckingham Palace in a "pragmatic" way when he's on the throne.

A British flag in front of the balcony at Buckingham Palace, where The King, Queen, Prince William, Princess Kate and other members are standing on VE Day

The Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As an actual residence, Lacey believes Buckingham Palace hasn't been entirely successful overall. "People forget that at the beginning of the [late] Queen's reign, no-one went into Buckingham Palace," Lacey said. As noted by the royal historian, Queen Elizabeth II changed how Buckingham Palace was viewed by the general public by giving visitors access to the royal collections. "It turns it from an impressive but perhaps empty facade into a meaningful exploration of the way in which constitutional monarchy works," Lacey explained.

A photo of a state banquet at Buckingham Palace

A state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Telegraph also reported that, when Elizabeth II was young, her "governess described the experience of staying at Buckingham Palace as being 'like camping in a museum.'" It would seem as though Kate and William are focused on creating a warm and welcoming environment for their children and, as a result, are unlikely to move into Buckingham Palace in the future.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.