The Sovereign Sets an Example
In the 1970s, when few people were talking about global warming and climate crisis, many thought the then-future King was odd, but he has always gone his own way and today he continues to set an example for both British and non-British people. His latest measure concerns the temperature of the swimming pool at the Palace: the sovereign has ordered the thermostat to be lowered to contribute to reducing energy consumption.
The Cost of Utilities
At the last edition of the Chelsea Flower Show, Charles was very clear about everything related to the environment. If the Government has set a deadline of 2050 for the country to become a zero-emission country, the deadline for Windsor House would be set much earlier; Charles wants to beat everyone to the punch, and he has already started working on it. Obviously, economic reasons are also at stake. In 2022, the utilities bill for the Palaces was quite high, £3.2 million, a figure that is also paid by taxpayers. Charles has taken measures to remedy this, he is the first to set a good example.
The Pool at Buckingham Palace
Solar panels have been on the roofs of Clarence House, his official residence, and Highgrove House, his beloved country estate in Gloucestershire, for some time, and probably the pool will also undergo other changes. According to an insider, in fact, for the king “it would not be ecologically correct, because the water contains chemicals and, in addition, it must be heated”. In short, “it does not fit his training regime or his vision of the world”. The pool is used only by senior royals and was built by George VI in 1938 for his daughters, Elizabeth, the future queen, and her sister Margaret. Lady Diana also used it regularly, alone and with her sons William and Harry. This tradition has continued with Kate Middleton and her children George, Charlotte and Louis, and it could now be interrupted now that Charles is on the throne, unless a way is found to make it more ecological and to amortize the management costs.
