King Charles III will not be moving into Buckingham Palace, according to a new report.
According to the Royal Collection Trust, every British monarch from Queen Victoria, who ascended to the throne in 1837, has had his or her official residence at Buckingham Palace, although they have often lived at other royal properties.
The king and Queen Consort Camilla currently live in Clarence House, which is near Buckingham Palace, according to The Sunday Times.
Buckingham Palace will function as the nerve center of Charles’s court for all of his official business, once renovations are complete in 2027, but Charles will not move in.
The Times noted that in 2017, a statement from then-Prince Charles said that “Buckingham Palace will remain the official residence of the monarch.”
But what the Times calls “royal sources who know the king” say that is not the plan.
Charles is “very comfortable” at Clarence House, a source said.
“I know he is no fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the palace,” a source said. “He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that’s fit for purpose in the modern world. He feels that its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”
What the Times called “another royal source” added another dimension, and said, “It is certainly true that Camilla doesn’t want to live at Buckingham Palace.”
Do you think the king is right to break this tradition?
A Buckingham Palace representative said the building will be ready for occupation as scheduled.
“It is expected that the necessary works will be completed for their majesties to take up residence in 2027. In the interim period, the Palace will be fully utilized for official business wherever practicable,” the representative said.
The 775-room palace will still be used for major diplomatic events.
The decision to jettison Buckingham Palace in favor of his current home was not unexpected, Hugo Vickers, a royal watcher, told Architectural Digest last month.
“Theoretically, every new monarch is expected to move into Buckingham Palace, though King Charles will likely reside in Clarence House, at least for a while, given that Buckingham Palace is being extensively rewired,” he said.
He said there is precedent for keeping a private residence just a few hundred feet from Buckingham Palace.
“That’s what Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip would have done, but Winston Churchill, then the prime minister, wouldn’t allow them to,” Vickers said.
“Clarence House is one of the nicest houses in London, like a country place in the middle of the city, and what could be better than that?” he said.
For now, much of what comes next for the royal family depends on the contents of a book being written by Prince Harry, according to a report by The Daily Beast.
“Almost everything Charles has done over the past 20 years has, in one way or another, been about getting Camilla accepted by the public,” what was described as a friend of Camilla is quoted as saying, indicating the prince and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, could find themselves banned if Harry trashes Camilla.
Charles “loves her,” the source said. “He is incredibly protective of her and he couldn’t do it without her. Even the queen finally accepted that. It is one thing for Harry to attack Charles, he can take it on the chin, but if Harry forces him to choose, by laying into Camilla in his book, I have no doubt he will choose Camilla.”
