King Charles might be the new monarch, but it’s going to take a while until he’s ready to call Buckingham Palace home.
According to several British newspapers, the newly ascended king is “no fan” of Buckingham Palace and will wait out an eye-popping £369 million renovation — more than half a billion Canadian dollars — to the estate before he even considers moving in.
“I know he is no fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the Palace,” a source told The Sunday Times. “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.”
The restoration and repairs to the Palace are said to include new wiring, plumbing and heating, and is thought to be about halfway into the 10-year renovation.
“Refurbishment is very far behind schedule but the Monarch should be living at Buckingham Palace. 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,” a source told The Sun.
Buckingham Palace served as Queen Elizabeth II’s long-term residence, but Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will wait up to five years for renovations to wrap on the 775-room royal headquarters before they move in.
“It is expected that the necessary works will be completed for Their Majesties to take up residence in 2027,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told The Sunday Times, adding that official business would still be conducted from the palace “wherever practical.”
In 2018, The Firm outlined plans for the renovation in the palace’s East Wing, saying that approximately 3,000 pieces from the Royal Collection were moved out while electrical work and pipes were replaced.
Charles and Camilla currently live at Clarence House in London, which is a short walk from the Palace. They also spend time at other royal residences, including Windsor Castle and Sandringham in Norfolk.
Previously, Charles had laid out his plans to essentially live in the palace in a “flat above a shop” as King, in keeping with reports that he’s aiming for a modest, more streamlined monarchy.
There’s been a rather complicated “Game of Homes” happening in the wake of the queen’s death as members of the Royal Family are earmarked to receive new property. Most recently, there’s been news that William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are set to inherit a number of new pieces of royal real estate, including Frogmore House on the Windsor Estate, as well as one of the King’s Welsh properties, called Llwynywermod.
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