Could the Royal Family Open Up Buckingham Palace to the Homeless?

The idea is gaining popularity among one group.

Exterior of Buckingham Palace
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In his new documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the Prince of Wales discusses his ongoing journey to end the homeless crisis once and for all. The U.K.'s skyrocketing cost-of-living situation has many calling for radical action—and in the wake of the documentary, one suggestion is aimed at the Royal Family.

The Big Issue, a magazine created to give jobs to unhoused individuals, recently published an opinion piece about why the Prince of Wales should consider opening up Buckingham Palace, along with other royal residences like Windsor Castle, to the growing homeless population.

"Slap-bang in the centre of London, there’s a huge bit of very fancy housing that barely gets used," the outlet wrote, adding, "The problem is, Buckingham Palace currently belongs to the crown."

The Big Issue cited a 2023 Savanta poll for Yahoo that reported 52 percent of respondents were in favor of the Royal Family opening Buckingham Palace to the homeless. The idea was challenged more in the 55-64 age bracket, per Yahoo, with 44 percent of these older respondents "strongly opposed" to the idea.

Prince william serving food to a homeless man at a shelter

Prince William has worked with homelessness charities since he was a young child.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While the media outlet "crunched the numbers," claiming "Buckingham Palace alone could fit 1,974 studio flats into its 77,000 square meters," the idea isn't quite that simple. Flipping a building with this much cultural and historical significance into apartments is an idea that would be incredibly difficult to pull off for many reasons.

The practical and logistical challenges of such an endeavor would be immense, considering security, staffing and the taxpayer costs of retrofitting historic royal residences to accommodate the homeless.

And while the media outlet claims Buckingham Palace is "barely" used, the building serves as the administrative center for the Royal Family, housing office space, meeting rooms, staff apartments and of course, serving as one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country with more than 500,000 ticket-paying visitors last year.

While the palace (along with other residences like Balmoral Castle) does remain closed to the public for months at a time, King Charles has expressed his wish to move to a more open model. He opened Balmoral for public tours for the first time ever this past summer, and reports that Buckingham Palace will welcome tourists year-round have been swirling in recent years.

While Prince William continues "desperately trying to help people who are in need," as he noted in his new documentary, it doesn't sound like this is one idea that will pan out in the prince's quest to end homelessness.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Read more
King Charles and Prince William
The "Impactful" Change Prince William Has Made to Royal Protocol as He "Splits" From King Charles
Princess Kate wearing a maroon coat and hat standing next to Prince William and smiling
Prince William and Princess Kate Have a Surprisingly Low-Key Rule for Their Household Staff
Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William, and Kate Middleton wear blue regalia
Why the Royal Family's Annual Income Is Increasing by $56 Million in 2025
Prince William is clean shaven and wears a navy suit with a white shirt and blue tie
Prince William Has "Big Plans" for Two Young Royals Who Live Relatively Normal Lives
Prince William sitting at a table next to two men in red Christmas sweaters and laughing
Former Royal Butler Says Prince William "Will Clear Out All the Stuffed Shirts" at Christmas Once He Becomes King
King Charles wearing a tan coat looking down
King Charles Admits to Unexpectedly Emotional Moment With Prince William: "It Reduced Me to Tears"
Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Model with barely there makeup, glowy skin, and long coily hair.
Everything You Need to Know About Marie Claire’s Skin and Hair Awards
Two men (Ike Barinholtz and Seth Rogen) sit at a conference table with a script in front of them, as two women (Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders) stand behind them, in 'The Studio.'
The Cast of 'The Studio': Your Guide
Bella Hadid walks into a studio wearing an oversize leather jacket with a pair of capri leggings and ballet sneakers
The Ballet Sneaker Trend Is Bella Hadid's Undisputed It-Shoe of 2025
Keke Palmer in a brown cutout dress and long copper hair
Keke Palmer Returns to the Dark Side With Deep Espresso Hair
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors
Jennifer Lawrence
The Jennifer Lawrence-Approved Adidas Sneakers Everyone's Talking About Are Secretly On Sale at Nordstrom