The British royal family is meant to be a bastion of continuity and tradition, but the decision by king Charles to turn Buckingham Palace into the world’s most elaborate home-office, while he sleeps nearby, is bound to disappoint traditionalists in Britain.The first to make it her official London residence was queen Victoria when she took the throne almost 190 years ago. Yet more recent British monarchs have had decidedly mixed views about Buckingham Palace.Charles’ mother, the late queen Elizabeth, was known to be ambivalent towards the enormous 775-room royal complex. Her unhappiness at being made to move into it as a young monarch was portrayed in the Netflix series The Crown.It has long been known that Charles also had little desire to live in the palace that he is said to refer to coldly as “the big house”.When he became the British king upon the death of his mother in September 2022, palace officials said he would continue to live at nearby Clarence House while revamp works were ongoing, but would move into Buckingham Palace when works were completed on it and its state apartments.The end of the refurbishment project is now on the horizon, but it seems there has been a U-turn on the previous position.Charles’s son and heir, prince William, is also known to be opposed to moving into the palace when he succeeds his father.It is possible that Buckingham Palace will never again be used as a British monarch’s official residence.Traditionalists fear its use as a “working” palace instead could dent its special allure for some visitors and tourists, who gather daily to peer through the gates. But there are precedents in other European monarchies. Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten at Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony on November 20th, 1947. Photograph: PA Traditionalists fear Buckingham Palace's use as a 'working' palace instead of a British monarch’s official residence could lessen its appeal for some visitors and tourists. Photograph: Lucy North/PA Wire King Wilhelm of the Netherlands, for example, only uses Noordeinde Palace in The Hague as his “working palace”. It was originally the home of the Dutch king William I in 1817, while subsequent Dutch monarchs used it as their winter home. It was damaged in fire but after a renovation in 1984, it became the Dutch king’s official office for all political and state affairs.Back in London, it costs adults between £33 and £37 for guided tours of Buckingham Palace in summer and up to £100 for tours in smaller groups in winter. The number of visitors will rise, which will help to defray some of the cost of the decade-long refurbishment.Royal officials say the British king and queen want Buckingham Palace to be “the ceremonial centre of royal life, the primary workplace of the royal household and a national heritage asset with increased opportunities for public access”.But it seems what it may never be again is a home.