London: Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, are reportedly planning to relocate from Kensington Palace in order to be closer to the Queen. A royal expert has said the move “makes sense” given Her Majesty’s age and the “shift in workload” that has occurred over the last few years, as the younger royals take on more responsibility within the Royal Family.
Speaking to Royally Us, expert Jonathan Sacerdoti said: “I think it makes sense what they’re doing because over the years, there’s been a sort of shift in the workload from the Queen to other members of the working Royal Family.
“I think that shift has been partly because of her age, obviously it’s going to be harder for her to do quite as much as she always used to and as well, it’s a way of preparing the next generations, because remember, there are two adult heirs now.
“There’s Prince Charles and there’s Prince William, both of them are really learning how to do the job they’ll one day have to do by helping the Queen and lightening her load a little bit.
“I think that this move might be partly connected to that, moving closer to the Queen and closer to bring the whole sort of nuclear family a little bit closer together.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge currently reside in Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace, which also houses their official offices.
Prince William and Kate moved into the 20-room, 4-storey property in 2013, following an 18-month renovation that cost an estimated £12million.
The apartment was formerly the home of Princess Margaret and has been in royal use since the 17th century.
However, according to Vanity Fair, the couple have been considering a move to be near the Queen at Windsor Castle for several months.
A royal source told the publication: “There are options at Windsor Castle, which is vast, and being close to the Queen, who is 95, makes sense to the family.”
While the Queen’s official London residence is Buckingham Palace, she has spent the majority of the last 18 months at Windsor Castle, where she and her late husband isolated from COVID-19.
A move to Windsor would also bring Kate closer to her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who reside in Berkshire.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Prince William and Kate have increased their public profile, and have taken on more responsibility to support the Queen. Express.co.uk
