A royal expert says the King’s decision to open parts of Buckingham Palace and Balmoral Castle to the public hints at “a lack of affection” for some of the world’s most historic royal homes.
Previously only the ballroom and gardens at Balmoral have been toured by the pubic, but other parts of the Scottish Highlands palace will be open to visit this summer for the first time since the structure’s completion in 1855.
Tickets for Balmoral are reported to have been selling very quickly.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace’s famous centre room where the royal family gather ahead of appearances on the balcony, will also open to the British public. The palace’s east wing will open between July and August, following refurbishments costing some £369 million.
Since the death of the late Queen Elizabeth, Charles' property portfolio has expanded considerably.
However, those close to the monarch have shared their thoughts of the King’s relationship to the royal palaces as they have recently rolled out their plans to open their doors on their websites.
Former BBC correspondent Michael Cole told MailOnline: “The King dislikes Buckingham Palace and wants to open it up more to visitors. He is not comfortable living there and goes there only to conduct official business - for instance for the Prime Minister's "audience of the King" usually on Tuesday evenings.
“He also has no great affection for Balmoral, hence his decision to make it more accessible to the paying public. He always stays at Birkhall, his late grandmother's cosy, comfy home on the Balmoral Estate.”
He added: “It is the King's instinct and wish to make the monarchy more accessible, making changes that would not have been contemplated while his mother was alive and on the throne.”
There has been some debate concerning the King’s affection to his birthplace, Buckingham Palace, where he spent most of his childhood (though time was often split between the palace and Windsor Castle).
The Sunday Times was recently told by a source that Charles is “no fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the palace. He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that’s fit for purpose in the modern world. He feels that its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”
