Charles will live at palace when king

Balmoral would become museum to Queen

The Prince of Wales will live in a “flat above the shop” in Buckingham Palace when he becomes King, according to royal sources.

Members of the public would enjoy more access to the residence than ever before under the new drive to make royal residences more accessible and slim down the monarchy.

The heir to the throne is also said to be considering changing Balmoral into a museum to the Queen, who is known to adore the Highland retreat. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could move from Kensington Palace to Windsor Castle, according to plans reported by The Mail on Sunday.

The Prince, 72, long an advocate of a trimmed-back monarchy, has reportedly been meeting with courtiers to discuss what happens to the palaces when the direct line of accession is reduced to himself, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Cambridges.

A source told the newspaper: “The central point is: when the Queen is no longer here, how do you (spread) two generations of the family across quite a large number of properties?

“The Prince of Wales strongly believes that these places have got to deliver something for the public beyond just being somewhere for members of the Royal Family to live.

“Everything is seen through the lens of the question: `What value is this offering to the public?'

“Everybody recognizes it makes no sense to run so many residences but if you give them up entirely you will never get them back when Prince George and the younger Royals grow up and need somewhere to live.”

Following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge planned a summit on the future of the monarchy over the next two generations, with issues of patronage and the future number of working members of the Royal family high on the agenda.

Buckingham Palace, which is undergoing a $632-million renovation, is expected to be opened up to visitors all year round rather than the current seasonal offering.

This summer the Queen's garden opened to the public for picnicking for the first time.

Meanwhile, the monarch's living quarters which currently include 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms could be cut.

A friend of the Prince of Wales claimed that a “much more modest flat-above-theshop situation” was likely following the succession to the throne.