With an ongoing homeless crisis and rising cost of living in the U.K., a magazine is pointing to the royal family for a possible solution. The Big Issue, a publication with the mission of getting unhoused individuals employed, published an opinion article about why Prince William should consider opening up Buckingham Palace and other royal residences to those experiencing homelessness.
“Slap-bang in the centre of London, there’s a huge bit of very fancy housing that barely gets used,” the outlet wrote. “The problem is, Buckingham Palace currently belongs to the crown,” it added, noting Windsor Castle should, too, be used for the cause.
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The publication cited a 2023 Savanta poll for Yahoo that showed 53 percent of participants were in favor of the royal family opening Buckingham Palace’s doors to the homeless population. However, 44 percent of respondents ages 55-64 were “strongly opposed” to the idea.
The Big Issue specifically addresses William, as homelessness is a cause he holds close to his chest. In his new documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the heir recounts his years-long work to end the homeless crisis, sharing he is “desperately trying to help people who are in need.”
The publication calculated that the palace could fit 1,974 studio flats into its 77,000 square meters. The project, if approved, would be more cumbersome than green-lighting new construction, given the residence’s cultural and historical significance. Such a task would require considerable security, staffing, and taxpayer costs.
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The palace is currently used as an administrative center for the royal family, with office space, meeting rooms, and staff apartments. It is also a main tourist attraction, garnering more than 500,000 visitors a year.
The palace, along with other buildings like Balmoral Castle, is closed for several months out of the year. However, King Charles III has shared he hopes to transition into a more open model. Last summer, he opened Balmoral’s doors for public tours for the first time ever.