King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace that no-one outside the Royal Family and household would ever notice

King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace will apparently be felt by the royals and the household but fans might be surprised…

King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace explained. Seen here he attends a Celebration of Culture at Market Theatre Square
(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace that no-one outside the Royal Family and royal household would ever notice.  


The King and Queen Consort have continued to live at Clarence House since taking on their new roles, but Buckingham Palace still remains a significant royal residence. The iconic royal palace has historically been the British monarch’s official London home and it’s where working members of the immediate and extended Royal Family gathered on the balcony after the coronation. However, whilst fans get these rare glimpses of the royals there and can even visit during certain months, King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace might have gone unnoticed by many.

According to The Times, His Majesty has allegedly taken a more environmentally-conscious approach when it comes to the Buckingham Palace swimming pool.

Buckingham Palace aerial view

(Image credit: Michael Dunning via Getty)

This pool is understood to be for the use of the Royal Family and the King’s members of staff only, so some fans might not even know it exists. 

“A few people using the pool have noticed that the temperature of the water has dropped, and it is quite a bit cooler than it used to be,” a source claimed to the publication. “They have been told the King has had the heating turned down.”

Known for his life-long passion for the environment, it’s said that King Charles’ major change to Buckingham Palace is reportedly due to a desire to reduce the royal household’s energy usage. And it’s not just this historic residence where His Majesty’s ethos can be seen as back in 2016 Clarence House shared pictures of new solar panels that had been installed there.

It was confirmed that the first solar panels were put in at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s home in 2010 and in those six years they’d apparently saved around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. If King Charles’ reported decision to adjust the thermostat of the Buckingham Palace pool has indeed been made then it’s another wonderful example of his move to be even more environmentally-conscious.  

Prince Harry has previously expressed admiration for the “key lessons” his father has taught him about the environment. Opening up on the 2018 documentary, Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, the Duke of Sussex said that his father is a “stickler” for turning lights off and said that's "now something that [he's] obsessed with" too.

Prince Harry continued, “[A]ll of a sudden, it becomes a habit and those small habit changes he's making, every single person can do. And I think that's one of the key lessons certainly that I felt that he taught us.” 

King Charles III and Queen Camilla appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

Meanwhile, King Charles’ appreciation for the natural world is something he shares with Her Majesty and Queen Camilla’s coronation outfit even paid homage to this. Her Bruce Oldfield dress featured embroidered floral details including wildflowers like celandine and daisy chains which The Telegraph has claimed were a nod to the couple’s love of the British countryside and nature. 

Given how King Charles has advocated for the environment for decades, it’s incredibly fitting that there was this sweet nod to this on one of the biggest days of his life.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!