![\"King](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1_The-King-Passes-Role-Of-Colonel-In-Chief-Of-The-Army-Air-Corps-To-The-Prince-Of-Wales.jpg\")
A former royal butler believes William\u2019s desire to stay in Windsor is following in the footsteps of his father(Image: Chris Jackson, Getty Images)<\/p>\nA former royal butler has revealed why King Charles opted to live in royal residences other than the famous London Palace, and what he thinks will come of the landmark building when Prince William ascends the throneA former royal butler believes William\u2019s desire to stay in Windsor is following in the footsteps of his father(Image: Chris Jackson, Getty Images)<\/p>\n
With the Prince and Princess of Wales preparing to move into their \u201cforever home\u201d of Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate, many started to wonder what would become of Buckingham Palace<\/a> when William becomes King.<\/p>\n William will reportedly stay in the Windsor home when he ascends the throne<\/a>, rather than move into one of the more prominent royal residences. This major break to tradition has called the future of the London Palace into question, with a former royal butler sharing his thoughts on what lies in store for Buckingham Palace.<\/p>\n Grant Harrold, who worked as King Charles<\/a> \u2019 butler at Highgrove between 2004 and 2011, believes William\u2019s desire to stay in Windsor is following in the footsteps of his father, who also decided to not call Buckingham Palace home during his reign. It comes after William and Harry’s shock realisation with one thing still in common<\/a>.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton to pay staggering rent for ‘forever home’<\/a>READ MORE: Former royal butler recalls hilariously awkward first meeting with Queen Elizabeth<\/a> Harrold said that during his seven years working with the royal family<\/a>, talks were happening behind closed doors over where Charles would live, decades before he became King.<\/p>\n The former royal butler exclusively told the Mirror<\/a> : \u201cI\u2019m not even surprised that Charles never moved in to Buckingham Palace, because even when I was there, there was talk about him not moving in because he prefers Birkhall, Highgrove or Clarence House. Buckingham Palace is just the office.\u201d<\/p>\n While many have started to question what will become of Buckingham Palace, Harrold believes William\u2019s reign as King will usher in a new era for the famous royal residence, as he never wished to spend his days as King in a huge royal mansion.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cWhen it comes to William, he is used to smaller houses like Highgrove because he didn\u2019t grow up in the huge palaces or castles.\u201d<\/p>\n Harrold added: \u201cSo I think there\u2019ll be a transition where Windsor becomes the hub of the monarchy, as Forest Lodge is on the Windsor estate, that whole area will become royal HQ. I think Windsor will become the embodiment of the Firm as William and Kate move into their forever home.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked what he thought is in store for Buckingham Palace when William becomes King, he said: \u201cBuckingham Palace could just be open year round as a tourist hotspot, while also operating as the royal office, because it is such a landmark of the royal institution.\u201d<\/p>\n The former royal butler also believes that William\u2019s desire to live in Forest Lodge, rather than a more grand royal residence, also stems from his years of charity work to eradicate homelessness in the UK.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWilliam has long championed homelessness causes, and it’s a bit hard to support the homeless when you\u2019re living in your massive castle, so I think he\u2019s aware of that. Living in Forest Lodge will be a lot cheaper than living in Buckingham Palace, and he realises that.\u201d<\/p>\n Grant Harrold\u2019s book<\/strong> The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service <\/strong>is available from August 28.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal<\/p>\n WHATSAPP GROUP: <\/strong>Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/4_Leaders-Attend-The-Blue-Economy-And-Finance-Forum.jpg\")
A former royal butler has shared what he thinks will happen to Buckingham Palace when William becomes King(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3_Prince-William-Celebrates-Homewards-Programme-In-Sheffield.jpg\")
Prince William has long championed homelessness causes(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n