King Charles III
Which castle will he live in?
Even after his coronation, King Charles III. still at Clarence House. His mother’s residence, the famous Buckingham Palace, is said to be too big for him.
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King Charles III should not move to Buckingham Palace even after his coronation. As usual, he lives in Clarence House.
King Charles III (74) is spoiled for choice: the British monarch and his wife Camilla (75) have a dozen residences at their disposal. Royal experts believe he will continue to reside at his beloved Clarence House.
Clarence House instead of Buckingham Palace
In an interview with The Times, historian Hugo Vickers stressed that the king would be on a “constant journey” if he wanted to use all his mansions and castles across the country. Instead, he assumes that he will limit himself to a few residencies. Clarence House will remain his primary residence. The part of St. James’ Palace on The Mall in London has been Charles’ official residence for 20 years. His mother Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) also once lived here: she moved in with her husband Prince Philip (1921-2021) in 1947. After taking office as Queen, however, she moved to the nearby and much larger Buckingham Palace.
Even after taking office, he remained in his London residence
Charles, on the other hand, remained at Clarence House after the death of his mother on 8 September. The 775-room palace is said to appear “unsuitable” for modern life, according to the Times report. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, says: “Maybe he ends up having to move into Buckingham Palace, but I don’t think he wants to.” The castle is “so huge and impersonal, with red carpets and curtains”. That does not correspond to the style of the new king.
Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing extensive renovations anyway. The work has been going on for six years. The Times quotes insiders as saying Charles could use the renovation as an “excuse” and never move into the palace. Instead, it could be open to the public all year round, instead of just ten weeks as is currently the case. The extensive art collection includes works by famous painters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and Vermeer. In addition, the palace could be used as an official guest house during state visits. Charles is seen as a frugal king who wants to streamline the monarchy. He shortened the coronation ceremony by more than an hour. Therefore, it is expected that he will tend to use the smaller mansions.
The Queen loved Balmoral Castle, Charles prefers the smaller Birkhall
While his mother loved Scotland’s Balmoral Castle for the summer months, Charles prefers to stay at Birkhall – one of Balmoral’s many cottages. He could continue to use the eight-room house on the extensive property for stays. In the future, the large castle will probably only be used for official occasions such as the visit of the Prime Minister.
Summer on the Scottish coast
Charles has always happily spent his summers at another Scottish mansion: the Castle of Mey in Caithness. His grandmother Queen Mum (1900-2002) bought the secluded property on the coast in 1952. She spent most of the months of August and October there. Royal observers assume that Charles will continue to spend his summer vacation there.