Standing proudly in the middle of central London, Buckingham Palace is the ultimate landmark. Now the building that is synonymous with British royalty, it has been at the center of UK national life for more than 150 years. It has provided a focal point for royal weddings, jubilees, state visits and coronations, as well as the UK’s VE Day celebrations.

Yet the royal family first acquired this building as an entirely private home. Built by the Duke of Buckingham, it was purchased by King George III in 1762 as a residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and their many children. It did not become the official seat of the British monarchy until 1837 when Queen Victoria came to the throne and decided that Buckingham Palace would be her residence instead of the nearby St James’s Palace. Construction of the iconic balcony began some 10 years later on the suggestion of Prince Albert and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buckingham Palace has been the subject of particular interest recently as it was highlighted that Prince William does not intend to live there when he becomes King. The news that the Wales family will soon move into Forest Lodge on the Windsor Castle Estate saw the private residence billed as their “forever home.” Now settled in Windsor with their three young children at school nearby, the family has decided to upsize from their current property Adelaide Cottage in a move that also gives them a “fresh start” after difficult times.

Buckingham Palace is fronted by the Queen Victoria Memorial.

This has sparked a very public discussion about the use of Buckingham Palace, which is currently undergoing a 10-year £369 million renovation using money from the UK’s Treasury. “The end of Buckingham Palace?”, one headline read. Other articles explored the idea that royals have not always enjoyed living there. One columnist described it as “the most drastic move out of town by a British monarch since the Hanoverians deserted St James’s for Kew.” Another piece emphasized this was representative of a “new style of monarchy.”

Perhaps one of the reasons that the optics of a monarch not living in Buckingham Palace is felt so keenly is because of the way in which the Palace as a family home became so central to the rebuilding of the royal family’s image after the abdication of King Edward VIII. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their two daughters moved into the Palace soon after he became King in December 1936, relocating from their private family home in Piccadilly in 1937 to the 775-room Palace. Just a few months later they appeared on the Palace balcony after his coronation, a sign of restoring stability to the throne.

Some two years later, the King found himself addressing the nation from the Palace at the start of the Second World War. And it was during this time that Buckingham Palace became a true symbol for the family’s solidarity with the nation. The Palace was bombed nine times throughout the war but the King and Queen did not move out. Instead, they were photographed standing in the rubble, and the King addressed the nation from an air raid shelter in the Buckingham Palace cellars. Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) said that being bombed made her feel she could “look the East End in the face.”

King George and Queen Elizabeth appeared with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their coronation day in 1937.

Princess Elizabeth moved into Clarence House when she was married, but her heir Prince Charles was born in Buckingham Palace. She moved her family back to the Palace when she became Queen, and over the years the building as a home and a place for State affairs were seen in tandem. Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were also born there. While the private apartments were rarely seen there were always reminders they were in use.

Yet the reality is that the idea of Buckingham Palace as the monarch’s home is one that was also pulled away from during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. She spent weekends and Easter at Windsor. Christmases were also initially at Windsor and later Sandringham. Long summers were of course at Balmoral. It was said many times that she saw Buckingham Palace as her office and Windsor as home, an idea that was cemented during the COVID pandemic when she and Prince Philip left the capital and spent lockdown in Windsor.

The decade-long refurbishment at the Palace, which started in 2017, has also made living there more difficult, meaning that King Charles has yet to move in. Instead, the Royal Standard flag—which indicates that the monarch is in residence—is now flown at the Palace when he is in the nearby Clarence House, his home for decades as the Prince of Wales.

So the building that started life as a private royal home today already has a very different purpose as a headquarters rather than a retreat. Indeed, there is a view that Buckingham Palace has not really been seen as a home by the royals for decades. What it has been, and will continue to be, is a focal point for matters of State and a place for the ceremony of national life. State banquets, investitures, garden parties, and receptions are just a few of the events that will continue to be celebrated there with the monarchy at their center.

What William’s decision to take on a new home does serve to highlight, however, is the abundance of properties that the royal family now has at its disposal. As the number of working royals has dwindled over the years, neither their funding nor their property haul has diminished. Official residences—including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace—belong to the State and as such are maintained with public money. Private residences, which include Balmoral, Sandringham, Highgrove, Anmer Hall and now Forest Lodge, are paid for privately. But with some of the royals’ private income coming from sources that are in lieu of their positions (the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall) they must remain mindful of the optics of their lifestyles.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have indicated they hope to give their kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, more privacy, despite their positing in public life.

William and Kate have always made it clear that they want a simpler childhood for George, Charlotte and Louis and one that enables them to stay out of the spotlight and away from the pressures of their future roles. With their popularity remaining consistently high with the British public, there is much evidence that the decisions they have made so far are well-received and endorsed. Gone are the days of grandeur and regal splendor being how people want to see the royals on a daily basis.

There has been discussion for years, both before and since he came to the throne, that King Charles may choose to open up official residences to the public more. This would have the effect of both generating income and also allowing more people to connect with royalty by coming through the doors. However, so far there have been no changes on this front as the King’s reign continues to be characterized by an emphasis on continuity.

In more than 250 years, Buckingham Palace has evolved from a home to a Palace to the monarchy’s headquarters and now one of the most enduring symbols of British royalty and national life. Changes have always been afoot. The news of William’s future home simply brought into focus what has already been gradually happening for some time. But there should not be any doubt that Buckingham Palace’s future as central to the role of the British monarchy remains.

Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.