August 17th 2024.
King Charles III, known for his passion for the environment, has announced plans to further his eco-conscious efforts by introducing electric vehicles into his royal fleet. The first step of this transition will be the installation of 27 charging points throughout the grounds of Buckingham Palace. This move follows a long line of environmentally-friendly changes already implemented by the monarch, who has been making strides towards a more sustainable monarchy since his accession in 2022.
According to a recently disclosed document, the charging points will be strategically placed in eight different locations at the royal residence. This is just the latest in a series of eco-friendly changes, as King Charles III has already made history by being the first royal to own an all-electric car - the EV400 HSE Jaguar I-Pace. In fact, the king even joked about the car being "silent but deadly". A Jaguar fast charger was also installed at his former residence, Clarence House, on The Mall in London.
But the green efforts don't stop there. It was recently announced that the royal household's two state Bentleys will be refurbished to run on biofuel, made from renewable sources. This is seen as an interim measure before the full transition to a fully electric fleet of royal vehicles. The installation of charging points at Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews is a significant step towards achieving this goal.
The planning application for the charging points was made by Martin Ashley Architects, who have previously worked on the Grade 1-listed Buckingham Palace. This follows the installation of electric car charging points at Windsor Castle earlier this year, further showcasing King Charles III's commitment to a sustainable monarchy. The monarch's passion for the environment is also reflected in the Sovereign Grant, where minimizing the royal household's impact on the environment is a top priority.
In addition to the electric vehicles, the monarch has also been making other eco-conscious changes across his estates. This includes the recent planting of thousands of saplings in the Berkshire estate. Rebecca Trebble, chief customer experience officer at sustainable energy business GRIDSERVE, praised the king for his leadership in adopting electric vehicles and making greener choices for his fleet. She also extended an invitation for the king to charge his car at any of their 190 locations across the UK.
Despite these efforts, the royal household acknowledges that there is still work to be done in reducing travel emissions, especially with government requests for long-haul charter flights. However, there has been progress in transitioning to sustainable aviation fuel and an almost fully electric motor vehicle fleet. King Charles III's belief in sustainability and environmental issues is evident in his actions, and he continues to put his unique stamp on the monarchy.
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