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King Charles III won’t move into Buckingham Palace for FIVE YEARS: £370m renovation means monarch will spend three days a week at Clarence House, two days at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham
- King Charles III will not be living in Buckingham Palace for up to five years
- The £370m restoration is not expected to be complete until at least 2027
- The Monarch and Queen Consort will split time between three residences
King Charles III will not live in Buckingham Palace for up to five years and will instead wait for the completion of the £370m renovation in 2027, sources claim.
As the palace continues its 10-year refurbishment, the new King and Queen Consort Camilla are expected to split their time between up to four other castles.
A source told The Sun their primary residence will continue to be Clarence House – just 400 yards away from Buckingham Palace and where they’ve resided for 19 years.
The couple moved into the five bed residence in 2003, one year after the Queen Mother died.
It’s understood they’ll spend three nights each week at Clarence House, two nights at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham in Norfolk.
King Charles III will not live in Buckingham Palace for up to five years and will instead wait for the completion of the £370m renovation in 2027
It’s understood they’ll spend three nights each week at Clarence House, two nights at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham in Norfolk
The new Monarch was spending at least one night a week at Windsor Castle (pictured) as the Queen’s mobility problems worsened in the year before her death
The new Monarch was spending at least one night a week at Windsor Castle as the Queen’s mobility problems worsened in the year before her death.
‘Refurbishment is very far behind schedule but the Monarch should be living at Buckingham Palace,’ the source said.
‘It’s the heart of the monarchy in London, otherwise it risks becoming just a tourist attraction.
‘We effectively have a king without a palace to live in.’
The couple also have their idyllic countryside private residence, Highgrove House, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.
King Charles acquired the grounds in 1980 and has devoted much of his spare time and energy into making the grounds and garden around the house immaculate.
Buckingham Palace is about halfway through its biggest refurbishment since before the Second World War, which includes new wiring, plumbing and heating.
It’s understood King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will choose to spend their weekends at Sandringham House in Norfolk (pictured)
Their primary residence will continue to be Clarence House (pictured) – just 400 yards away from Buckingham Palace and where they’ve resided for 19 years
The couple also have their idyllic countryside private residence, Highgrove House (pictured), near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. King Charles acquired the grounds in 1980 and has devoted much of his spare time and energy into making the grounds and garden around the house immaculate
Wallpaper in some of the rooms, including the Yellow Drawing Room in the East Wing, will ‘conserved and preserved’ by experts before being rehung.
The bill for the refurbishment will be met by taxpayers via the Sovereign Grant – the annual fee paid by the Government to the monarch – with a third of the cash set aside for maintaining Royal palaces.
The project involves ten miles of water pipes, 6,500 plug sockets, 500 pieces of sanitary ware (toilet, basins and the like) and 20 miles of skirting board being replaced after experts warned there was ‘serious risk’ of fire and water damage to the palace and the priceless works of art it contains due to palace’s perilous state of repair.
It is estimated that the benefits of the upgrade, including longer summer opening hours, more private tours and savings due to the improvements, could be around £3.4 million each year.
The work needed reflects the age of the building, which was first used as a royal palace by Queen Victoria and had not been decorated since 1952, the year the Queen ascended the throne.
While the King will not call Buckingham Palace home for the duration of the renovation, it’s understood he will continue to use available spaces for work and meetings.
A two-minute video shared on the Royal Family Instagram account in 2020 revealed how 19th century wallpaper is being removed ‘piece by piece’ from the Yellow Drawing Room as part of work in the East Wing. Pictured, the Yellow Drawing Room in 2018 ahead of the work
The Yellow Drawing Room was emptied as part of the decant of the East Wing ahead of the restoration work. Pictured, the room in 2020. The wallpaper has been partially removed
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