King Charles and Queen Camilla to stay at Clarence House

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will stay at Clarence House, Buckingham Palace said, leaving the 775-room palace without a monarch in residence even after its £369 million reservicing programme is finished in 2027. The decision ends the expectation that Buckingham Palace would return as the couple’s personal or official London home after the works are complete.

The choice marks a sharp break from tradition. Buckingham Palace has served as the monarch’s primary London residence since Queen Victoria moved in in 1837, but the modern royal couple will remain at Clarence House, where they already live. The palace will continue to host major ceremonial events and official engagements, but it will no longer function as the king’s private home.

The reservicing programme began in April 2017 and is designed to keep the Grade I listed building fit for long-term use. The work is aimed at replacing aging plumbing, pipes, wires and heating systems, while reducing the risk of fire and flood. It also includes improved disabled access, greater public access and environmental upgrades, with officials saying the changes will allow more visitors into the palace once the programme is complete.

The project has been financed through the Sovereign Grant using a temporary uplift approved by Parliament. Royal accounts indicate the government intends to reset the grant once the Buckingham Palace work ends, underscoring the scheme’s unusual scale and its temporary effect on the public finances that support the monarchy. The reservicing has already run for nine years and is scheduled to continue through 2027.

Buckingham Palace opened to the public in limited form in the 1990s, but it remains first and foremost the ceremonial centre of royal life, the primary workplace of the Royal Household and the administrative headquarters of the monarchy. Charles and Camilla’s decision to remain at Clarence House leaves that balance intact: Buckingham Palace will be maintained as the monarchy’s public stage, not restored as its domestic heart.