The King and Queen will not move into Buckingham Palace once its
£369 million refurbishment is completed next year, bringing an end
to almost two centuries of royal tradition and ensuring that
Clarence House remains the monarch’s London home for the
foreseeable future.
The decision, first reported by the BBC and confirmed in the
Royal Household’s annual financial accounts, means Buckingham
Palace will continue to serve as the ceremonial and administrative
heart of the monarchy rather than the King’s principal
residence.
Instead, Charles and Queen Camilla will remain at Clarence
House, where they have lived together since their marriage in 2005.
Palace officials said the arrangement had been reached after
“careful consideration” and would enable greater public access to
one of Britain’s best-known landmarks.
The choice marks a significant departure from precedent.
Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of the
sovereign since Queen Victoria moved there in 1837, with successive
monarchs making it both their home and the centre of royal life.
While Victoria herself spent lengthy periods away from the palace
following Prince Albert’s death, no reigning monarch has chosen
another permanent London residence.
Officials insisted the palace would lose none of its
constitutional importance. State visits, investitures, diplomatic
audiences, garden parties and major receptions will continue to be
held there, while the King and Queen will retain private rooms
within the building for use during official engagements and
occasional overnight stays.
James Chalmers, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the
arrangement represented “a change from the past and a recognition
of the future”, while stressing that Buckingham Palace would remain
“the ceremonial and operational centre of royal life”. A palace
spokesperson said the King retained “huge affection” for the
building and described it as a “buzzing hive of royal
activity”.
The decision reflects practical as well as symbolic
considerations. Charles and Camilla, both in their late seventies,
are understood to have been reluctant to undertake the upheaval of
relocating themselves and their household after more than two
decades at Clarence House. Palace officials also believe that
keeping the monarch’s permanent residence elsewhere will make it
easier to welcome visitors into Buckingham Palace for longer
periods each year.
The ten-year refurbishment programme is due to conclude in March
after extensive work to modernise infrastructure that had become
increasingly outdated. Electrical wiring, plumbing, boilers and
other essential services have been replaced, much of it for the
first time in around 60 years, amid concerns over the risk of fire
and water damage.
The announcement came alongside the publication of the
monarchy’s latest financial accounts, which revealed that Charles
has become the first British sovereign to disclose how much tax he
pays.
According to the accounts, the King paid £12.9 million in income
and capital gains tax during the 2024-25 financial year, following
a payment of £11.7 million the previous year. Although the monarch
is under no legal obligation to pay tax, the practice has continued
voluntarily since 1993.
The accounts also show that the temporary increase in the
Sovereign Grant used to finance Buckingham Palace’s refurbishment
is drawing to a close. Public funding for the monarchy will fall
from £137.9 million to £99.9 million in 2027-28, although the
settlement remains considerably higher than the core grant before
the renovation project began. The additional funding will be used
to address maintenance across the occupied royal palaces, improve
cyber security and install more energy-efficient heating
systems.
The Guardian reported that Clarence House is now expected to
remain the King’s official London residence for the duration of his
reign. It remains unclear whether the Prince of Wales will restore
Buckingham Palace as the monarch’s primary home when he eventually
succeeds to the throne.
For now, Britain’s most recognisable royal residence will
continue to provide the backdrop for state occasions and national
celebrations. Yet when the day’s engagements are over, the King
will return not to Buckingham Palace, but to the more modest
surroundings of Clarence House—a decision that quietly redraws one
of the monarchy’s oldest traditions.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
