Moving plans on forever ice? Living in the palace, King Charles III finds “not appropriate”. But he already has an idea of what else to do with Buckingham Palace.
London – Buckingham Palace is the undeniable official residence of British monarchs. Also for King Charles III. (73) and his Camilla (75) only the tourist magnet comes into question as an official residence and seat of government. But the heir to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022) and his wife are not even thinking about leaving their previous home, Clarence House. Firstly, the palace is being renovated, secondly, the king apparently has better plans for the monumental structure.
Charles and Camilla “don’t want to live in Buckingham Palace,” a source says
The king and uncrowned wife find the palace ” no longer fit for purpose”, an insider tells the Sunday Times . In addition, the monarch feels “very comfortable” in Clarence House, his previous accommodation. The palace, on the other hand, is not fit for modern life and its upkeep is “unsustainable,” the source continues. Rather, Charles and Camilla want to spread their lives across three residences.
The Sunday Times also reports that Camilla and his son Prince William (40), who is due to move to Windsor Castle with his family one day, also share the ruler’s opinion. According to the new plans, Buckingham Palace will become the Royals’ business headquarters, from which Charles will do his desk work and representative duties. The royal standard could fly over both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House (just 400 meters from Buckingham Palace) when the King is in town.
Buckingham Palace – Official residence and British powerhouse
The castle was built in 1703 by the Duke of Buckingham and initially served as a town house. With the reign of Queen Victoria (81, † 1901), the palace became the main residence of the British monarch.
Today, the huge building is one of London’s most important attractions, including the world-famous changing of the guard. The palace has 775 rooms including 19 state rooms, 52 bedrooms for the royal family and guests, 78 bathrooms and 92 offices.
“We actually have a king without a palace to live in,” the insider concludes
Facing Charles’ plans, the palace in the heart of London is currently undergoing a tax-funded renovation for the whopping €424 million and the work won’t be complete until 2027. So the king kills two birds with one stone: he lives modestly and also plans to open “the big house”, as Charles calls the palace and its gardens to the public all year round.
“The prince wants to get people to connect with the institution. He is aware that the monarchy needs to evolve and people want access to the palaces,” the insider continued. There are apparently ideas for Windsor Castle, Balmoral in Scotland, Sandringham in Norfolk and Clarence House. The monarch and monarch themselves are likely to live in a triple split in the future: they are expected to spend three nights a week at Clarence House, two nights at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham in Norfolk. Sources used: thetimes.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk
