King Charles III has many options when it comes to where he and Camilla will live. Charles became king the moment Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 and will be coronated on May 6.
He inherited Buckingham Palace—the traditional residence of the monarch and where Charles was born—from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but the new king is expected to buck tradition and stay at Clarence House, where he lived prior to him other’s accession to the throne, and again after his marriage to Camilla.
Where will Charles and Queen Consort Camilla live?
With an estimated worth of $4.9 billion and 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace in the heart of London has been the official home of the reigning British monarch since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
Charles is known to dislike Buckingham Palace and it’s been speculated that he could buck royal tradition and remain in residence at his current home of Clarence House, the home he has shared with Camilla since 2003. He also lived there from 1948 until his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952.
While Buckingham Palace is in the midst of a 10-year, $500 million renovation, Charles is living at Clarence House and using the palace for work. After all, it’s not set in stone that the monarch must have the palace as his or her official residence.
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There have been rumors in the past few years that he plans to turn the palace into a museum, with no remaining members of the royal family living there.
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However, a source close to the king told the Times last October that “there is no question” as to whether Charles would live in Buckingham Palace when the time came”, adding that his view “is that you need a monarch at monarchy HQ. This has never been in doubt.”
They clarified that it would be more a “slimmed down” scenario than when the queen lived there, comparing it to a “more modest flat-above-the-shop situation”, referring to the tradition of British shopkeepers living in apartments above their premises and comparing it to the prime minister’s living situation at 10 Downing Street.
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From 2020-2021 the queen spent £31.6 million ($44 million) on renovations to Buckingham Palace. This was almost double the amount she spent on renovations the previous year, which totaled £16.4 million ($23 million).
According to the source, turning Balmoral Castle into a museum is not off the cards.
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Charles is known to be extremely fond of his country retreat of Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
But with Charles’ inheritance of the crown from his mother comes his eldest son’s inheritance of his former title Duke of Cornwall—and with it the vast portfolio of land and assets called the Duchy of Cornwall, which means that Highgrove is now technically owned by Prince William.
At 74, King Charles had been in line for the throne longer than any other heir apparent in the history of the British monarchy.
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