Prince Charles Is Reportedly Making The Queen Unhappy With This Plan
While it may seem that 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is far from slowing down, her son and first heir to the throne, Prince Charles, is already making plans for when he inevitably takes over. In May, The Mirror reported that Prince Charles had begun accepting additional roles in order to prepare for his impending takeover. One of the most interesting responsibilities that he has accepted is the downsizing of the British monarchy.
The royal family is currently considered to be the 22 highest-ranking members, which includes Prince William and his children, Prince Harry and his children, and Prince Andrew and his children, among others, per the royal family's website. Prince Charles has made plans to slim down the current roster of senior working royals to include only eight members, instead of 22. As royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Insider, these eight members are said to be Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne.
A large factor that might have an impact on Prince Charles' new version of the royal family is money. According to Forbes, the royal family suffered a $44.5 million shortfall due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Limiting the number of royal family members who receive public funding in order to finance their lives could greatly benefit the monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth is unhappy with Prince Charles' new plan for Buckingham Palace
Aside from downsizing the senior members of the royal family, Prince Charles has other changes in store for the monarchy as well. The Mirror reported Prince Charles intends to open Buckingham Palace as a museum to the public that is open year-round. Currently, guests can only visit the palace between April and September on a guided tour. Buckingham Palace is a working royal residence, containing 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, and 92 offices. The first royal to use the palace as their home was Queen Victoria in 1837. Queen Elizabeth, who raised her family in the palace, is not exactly supportive of her son's idea to turn it into a museum.
As a source told The Mirror, Queen Elizabeth actually firmly disapproves of Prince Charles' plans for Buckingham Palace. "She's not very keen on that particular idea and believes of course, that it should remain a family home of sorts." The source continued, "Her Majesty the Queen will go between Windsor Castle, which she considers her main London base, and spending two to four days a week also out at the re-renovated Buckingham Palace. So for now, whatever you're reading, it doesn't look like Prince Charles is going to be getting his own way anytime soon."