King Charles III will not live at Buckingham Palace after the completion of its decade-long refurbishment, the palace said, and will continue to use nearby Clarence House as his home.
The decision was disclosed in the royal accounts and confirmed by palace officials, who said the 10-year, 369-million-pound refurbishment is due to finish next year and that Buckingham Palace will remain “the ceremonial and operational centre” of the monarchy while the king and queen keep Clarence House as their residence, the BBC reported.
Royal officials told the BBC and The Associated Press that the work replaces ageing plumbing, wiring and boilers and is intended to make the palace safe for the long term. James Chalmers, the official responsible for managing the king’s finances, said the monarch and queen “would have access to private rooms within the palace where they can retire during the course of a working day,” signalling the building will still be used for official business.
The palace statement followed a briefing on royal finances in which the king for the first time published details of his personal taxes: accounts cited by NPR and other outlets show Charles paid
12.9 million pounds in the 2024-25 year. Officials said greater public access is a reason for keeping Buckingham Palace largely non-residential.
The BBC reported that not since Queen Victoria has a reigning monarch chosen to live away from Buckingham Palace, and that Charles has lived at Clarence House since 2003. Palace spokespeople stressed that state banquets, garden parties and audiences with ambassadors will continue to take place at Buckingham Palace.
Commentators and critics reacted quickly. Norman Baker, a former minister, told the BBC visitor ticket receipts should go to the Treasury if the King does not live at the palace. Graham Smith, chief executive of the campaign group Republic, said spending public money on a refurbishment the monarch will not live in raised questions about public access to the building.
The move is part of wider financial disclosures contained in the royal accounts, which also show a temporary uplift to the Sovereign Grant to fund the palace overhaul and a planned reduction in the overall grant level once renovation spending ends, BBC reporting said. Analysts cited by NPR suggested the disclosures are intended to increase transparency about the monarchy’s finances.
For more on how the king’s public profile and household arrangements are changing, see coverage that traces the royal family’s public duties and statements, including reports that King Charles clarifies Prince Harry and Meghan won’t resume royal duties and that Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals.
Sources
- BBC ‘>— confirmed the palace decision, the refurbishment timetable and the reasons given by officials.
- NPR/Associated Press ‘>— reported the refurbishment cost, the king’s tax disclosures and quoted analysts on the move’s transparency implications.
