According to new reports, King Charles has decided not to stay in a luxury castle with Prince William and Princess Kate because the monarch preferred to spend his time on a smaller property.
The 75-year-old king spends most of his holidays at his own home in Scotland, Birkhall, and does not sleep with the rest of the royal family at Balmoral Castle.
The cancer-stricken royal spends his days at his Scottish mansion with Queen Camilla by his side, painting and tending his beloved gardens, a source told The Daily Beast.
The source said: “The king sleeps a lot. He is not one to sit around and do nothing. So he relaxes by reading, writing, painting and gardening.”
“He always loved putting on his wellies and going out into the garden. It’s his favourite place.”
The royal is believed to have undergone cancer treatment during his stay in London last week.
Birkhall is located on the Balmoral estate and was once the retreat of the late Queen Mother, who was given the estate as a gift in 1930 by her husband, the future King George VI.
It first came into royal hands when Prince Albert purchased the Balmoral estate in 1852.
Charles and Camilla lived in Birkhall – the royal couple’s Scottish retreat
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After the Queen Mother’s death, the 12-bedroom property reverted to the Crown and was given to Charles by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles apparently appreciates Birkhall because it offers a more private and intimate setting than Balmoral.
On the grounds of Birkhall, Charles consoled himself by picking mushrooms after the death of his mother.
Although the King attended a traditional official reception at Balmoral Castle last week, he remained stationed at Birkhall.
A general view of Crathie Kirk, a Church of Scotland parish church that Kate and William visited last week
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Meanwhile, other royals, including Prince William and Kate, have also been welcomed into the “big house,” as Balmoral Castle is commonly called.
The King and Prince William reportedly attended an intimate dinner at Birkhall in September 2022 following the Queen’s death.
This strategy meant that the two did not have to see Prince Harry, who arrived at Balmoral separately from the main royal party.
The move cemented Birkhall’s status as a place of refuge and sanctuary for the king.