Prince William plans to break major 200-year royal tradition when he's king: Report

Prince William is planning a royal reign on his own terms.

According to The Times, the future king has no intention of moving into Buckingham Palace when he ascends the throne, marking a bold break from tradition that’s been in place since 1837.

A well-placed source told the outlet that William and Kate are unlikely to uproot their family from their more private, country-based lifestyle. “I’m pretty sure that they won’t move into BP. You can’t imagine him saying, ‘Great, let’s move back to central London,’” the insider said.

At the heart of the decision is privacy, especially for the couple’s three children. “He’ll be asking, 'if [the children] are still young when I take on the big job, how do I maintain that privacy?'” the source explained.

William’s desire to stay out of the public eye when it comes to home life is reportedly intentional. “William has played a very smart hand. He has chosen it. He has shaped it as he wanted to,” the source added, noting that the Prince of Wales has carefully considered his path for years.

Royal commentator Tom Quinn said “succession planning” has long been underway. “It began even before Charles’ diagnosis,” he revealed. “He’s the oldest Prince of Wales to become king in history, so succession planning had begun… because of the age issue.”