King Charles has turned down the Buckingham Palace pool temperature in hopes of reducing the royal household’s energy use, according to royal sources. The King is a known environmentalist and has paid close attention to turning off lights as well as conserving energy in his homes, reports state. The royal also is known to enjoy living and working in cold temperatures and now, a portion of the King’s employees, who have long relished the privilege of utilising the swimming pool at Buckingham Palace, are also experiencing the cold.
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A source told The Times: “A few people using the pool have noticed that the temperature of the water has dropped, and it is quite a bit cooler than it used to be.
“They have been told the King has had the heating turned down.”
He has earned a notable reputation for living and working in freezing cold conditions which can be challenging for others.
Moreover, the King has a tendency to test his staff’s knowledge and skills when it comes to igniting fires.
A royal source said: “He would want to have a very good reason for why a fire was being lit, and would want to know why you wanted to heat a room beyond room temperature, whatever the weather outside. He would see it as wasteful.”
Julian Payne, his former communications secretary, told The Sunday Times last year: “The King . . . always has the windows wide open. A meeting at Birkhall, his home in the Highlands, in the middle of winter was not for the faint-hearted.
“I can remember more than one occasion when I thought I might have actually got frostbite while trying to write with a hand I could no longer feel.”
By lowering the temperature at the palace pool, Charles is also mindful of the palace’s energy expenses, which are overseen by a network of over 60 intelligent metres across the royal estate.
Last year, the taxpayer-funded utilities bill for the royal palaces amounted to £3.2million, covered through the sovereign grant.
The King is also recognised for his determination to attain net zero emissions within the royal household prior to the Government’s designated target of 2050.
A source, who knows Charles well, said: “He probably thinks the whole thing is environmentally unsound, because the palace pool water has chemicals and has to be heated. It doesn’t fit with his exercise regime or his world view.”
Charles reportedly enjoys swimming, with a preference for the open sea over pools.
While he occasionally uses the pool at Highgrove, it is believed that he does not make use of the one at Buckingham Palace.
The pool at Buckingham Palace was constructed in 1938 under the commission of George VI, following the enthusiasm for swimming displayed by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret during their childhood.
It was completed in 1939, shortly before the Royal Family relocated to Windsor during the Second World War.
The palace suffered damage during the 1940 bombing of London, with a bomb falling near the pool, resulting in its subsequent reconstruction.
The King and his siblings, along with Diana, Princess of Wales, frequently made use of the pool for swimming.
It is also believed that Princes William and Harry learned to swim there.
Prior to the Wales family’s move to Windsor, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis also enjoyed swimming in the palace pool.
While senior members of the royal household are granted access to the pool, they are required to check in advance if any member of the Royal Family intends to swim to avoid scheduling conflicts.
