Queen Camilla’s friend, Nicky Haslam, argued that merely treating Buckingham Palace as an office does not align with royal tradition.

Amid speculation that King Charles and Queen Camilla may never permanently move into Buckingham Palace, royal editor Richard Eden spoke to one of Camilla’s close friends, interior designer and socialite Nicky Haslam. Haslam warned the King that remaining at Clarence House while treating Buckingham Palace merely as an office does not align with tradition. He also argued that without a reigning monarch living there, the Palace could gradually lose both its appeal and its historic significance.

In an article for the Daily Mail, Eden explained the historic importance of the Palace. He revealed that after Prime Minister Winston Churchill nudged the late Queen Elizabeth to move there, as he believed it to be a symbol of national unity, she reluctantly agreed. She lived there for most of her reign, until moving to Windsor Castle during her final years, which coincided with extensive renovations at the Palace. With this in mind, Haslam was quoted as having said, “Turning Buckingham Palace into an office is wrong. William won’t use it either. It stops Buckingham Palace from being the jewel in the Crown.”

Viewing through this lens, the 86-year-old designer believed that Buckingham Palace would lose its mystique to tourists if it were no longer used as a royal residence. He stressed, “If people think it’s an office, they won’t go there.” Meanwhile, Eden noted that it was easy to see why Charles and Camilla preferred living at Clarence House, as it is a low-key, elegant home, but argued that it is their duty to move out soon. Chiming in, an insider asserted, “Buckingham Palace will be used for royal events. There will be investitures, receptions, and banquets, but the King and Queen won’t sleep there.”