King Charles and Queen Camilla will not move into Buckingham Palace

King Charles and Queen Camilla will not move into Buckingham Palace following the ten-year reservicing programme.

While the current arrangement has been in place since King Charles’s accession, officials have now confirmed that the King, with Queen Camilla, will not take up residence at Buckingham Palace, as has been the case since the Victorian era. A decision that the palace describes as Their Majesties’ “wish that the palace remains the ceremonial centre of royal life, the primary workplace of the Royal Household and a national heritage asset with increased opportunities for public access.”

Buckingham Palace in central London has served as the monarch’s official residence. It is not only a home but also the central hub for official and state duties, as well as for significant occasions in the nation’s life. Buckingham House was first constructed on the orders of John Sheffield, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, from 1702 to 1705. The ‘House’, which is nothing as it appears today, was eventually bought by King George III in early 1762 as a London residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte. They needed the space for an ever-growing family to come, and it was habitually referred to as ‘The Queen’s House’.

In the year of the house’s purchase, the King explained to Lord Bute that it was ‘not meant for a Palace, but a retreat’. Buckingham House soon became the chief home of the King and Queen while St James’s Palace, a short distance along the Mall to the east, was the official seat of the court. All but the eldest of the King and Queen’s fifteen children were born at Buckingham House. — Royal Collection Trust

As history unfolded — Queen Charlotte had died, King George was confined to Windsor, and the Prince Regent held court at Carlton House along the Mall — Buckingham Palace was left abandoned. This was until the following reign, when George IV had the House rebuilt as Buckingham Palace, although, unlike the usual façade we see today, the façade was constructed in an open, horseshoe shape with parallel wings that enclosed an outer forecourt. In the newly formed forecourt stood a ‘triumphal’ arch celebrating Great Britain’s recent naval and military victories. The architect tasked with building the home of one of the most influential monarchs in Europe was none other than John Nash. Nash was renowned for his work across the country and, in 1820, was the Official Architect to the Office of Woods and Forests.

The next monarch, King William IV, did not show an interest in the newly constructed palace either, instead staying down the road at Clarence House. When fire broke out in the old Houses of Parliament in 1834, the King had offered up the still-incomplete Buckingham Palace to replace the grand meeting place of government. The offer was respectfully declined. However, William IV did receive a vote from Parliament for the ‘completing and perfecting’ of the palace for royal use, which saw the completion of the new State Rooms under the supervision of Lord Duncannon, First Commissioner of Works, and architect Edward Blore. John Nash was dismissed after the death of George IV for extravagant spending, which had exceeded £496,169.

One of the most significant influences on Buckingham Palace was its next occupant, Queen Victoria. Days after becoming Queen, the young Victoria moved into the palatial palace and, for the first time in its history, was made the principal residence of the monarch. The Queen later sent a complaint to Prime Minister Robert Peel in 1845 that the Palace was becoming too small for her growing family and for entertaining the many invited guests. The Victorian era saw the monarchy become a spectacle for the first time, and the palace needed to represent the court life of the day. Blore was then tasked with building a new wing of the palace that would enclose the forecourt.

Brighton’s Royal Pavilion was sold, and most of its furnishings were sent to London, with the funds going towards the new works. At Prince Albert’s suggestion, a central balcony was added to the plans, which, according to the Prince, would allow the royal family to become more visible and connect with the public. As most of the furnishings were Asian-inspired — George IV was an adamant lover of Chinoiserie — the new wing was aptly called the East Wing and was filled with some of the finest ceramics and furniture. The triumphal arch, now known as Marble Arch, was moved to the north-east corner of Hyde Park, where it sits today.

After Queen Victoria, King Edward VII made several changes to the palace’s interior, resulting in much of the white-and-gold scheme still in place today. One major addition was not inside but right in front of the Palace itself. Plans were drawn up for a monumental memorial to his mother, which took almost ten years to complete. Edward VII died just short of this unveiling, with his son, George V, doing so on 16 May 1911. The completed Queen Victoria Memorial at the end of The Mall sits at 25 meters. This project also saw the installation of the front gates that are still in place.

George V had his own mark on the palace as well. As the Queen Victoria Memorial sat proudly in white marble, the smog and soot that had inundated London for years during the period of rapid industrialisation had stained the mid-19th-century Caen stone ffaçadeand the palace’s exterior almost black. This was changed upon completion of a ‘facelift’ of the palace, with fresh Portland stone. The reface — designed by Sir Aston Webb — also changed the overall look of the palace to a more Neoclassical and Baroque style, based in part on Giacomo Leoni’s Lyme Park in Cheshire.

George VI had a more ‘adventurous’ time at Buckingham Palace. The King was the monarch who oversaw World War II. The palace was no exception to the bombing raids of the Blitz. One September day in 1940, a German Luftwaffe aircraft dropped five bombs directly onto the palace with George VI and his wife, Elizabeth, inside. Their Majesties were yards from the explosion, which left heavy damage. Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, said, “I am glad we have been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face,” referring to the intensive raids they were enduring themselves. After the war, the palace became the focal point of a war-weary nation. The royal family appeared around eight times on the balcony on VE Day, rallying millions in victory over Nazi Germany (again in August 1945 on VJ Day).

The most recognisable resident was Queen Elizabeth II, who lived in Buckingham Palace from 1952 until March 2020. The Queen had an indelible impact on the palace, not in its layout or new construction projects. Still, her current presence of stability made the residence instantly recognisable, not least so in June 1953 following her coronation, when she appeared on the balcony to the rapturous crowds chanting “we want the Queen”. There was some occasional work on infrastructure, including a major restoration in the 1950s. Queen Elizabeth did make one addition to the Palace, which almost every visitor steps into. In 1962, on the initiative of Prince Philip, The Queen’s Gallery was built from the bombed-out ruins of the former Private Chapel. The Queen’s Gallery was completely refurbished and expanded in 2002 to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, during which Her Majesty reopened the space. The Queen’s Gallery, now The King’s Gallery, also includes the gift shop.

During the later part of Queen Elizabeth’s life, a new major £369 million 10-year reservicing programme commenced in April 2017. Many of the palace’s services and infrastructure are now well past their design lifetimes, which can affect their overall function and structural integrity. This also creates a large fire risk, which, as seen in the 1991 Windsor Fire, is the palace staff’s worst nightmare. An update in 2024 said that more than 40,000 individual floorboards were replaced, with asbestos removed throughout. The restorations aim to make the ‘People’s Palace’ safer for future generations.

Queen Elizabeth departed Buckingham Palace, unaware it would be for the very last time, on 19 March 2020, ahead of the pandemic sweeping the world. The Queen had moved to Windsor, where she, together with Prince Philip, was shielding from the virus. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September 2022 after a 70-year reign that cemented her as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The present Sovereign, King Charles III, has a view unlike that of any of his predecessors. The King wants Buckingham Palace to be more open and accessible than ever. We have seen this in action, as His Majesty has thrown open the doors to parts of the palace that the public has never entered. One such space is the Centre Room that leads onto the famous balcony. Work is still underway, but nearing completion — expected to be done in spring 2027.

Late Thursday evening, Buckingham Palace issued a press release detailing the annual Sovereign Grant Report, which provided a key indication of the palace’s future.

On the completion of the Reservicing Programme, The King and Queen will not make Buckingham Palace a personal residence, reflecting Their Majesties’ wishes that the Palace remains the ceremonial centre of Royal life, the primary workplace of the Royal Household and a national heritage asset with increased opportunities for public access. — Royal Communications

For the first time since becoming the monarch’s primary residence in London, King Charles will be the one to break with this tradition; it is not seen as a response to a negative connotation but rather for the public themselves. Once restorations are complete, if the King and Queen were to move into the palace, it would drastically reduce the number of visitors, and many parts of the palace would no longer be open due to strict security measures.

Now both in their late 70s, it is understood that the royal couple want to forgo the upheaval of a move that, as some describe it, is completely unnecessary. The King and Queen will continue to live, as they have done for the past 21 years, at Clarence House, where they have been since their marriage in 2005 — then-Prince Charles moved in following the death of the Queen Mother in 2002.

While the King may not live day to day in the palace, receptions, major events, and state occasions will still be held at the palace, and the Royal Standard will still fly above when His Majesty is in residence at Clarence House.

His Majesty retains huge affection for Buckingham Palace and a deep respect for its role in royal and public life. This is both a change from the past and a recognition of the future. Let me be clear, however, that in all other ways Buckingham Palace will continue to be both the ceremonial and operational centre of royal life. The Palace will continue in every traditional way to be the beating heart of the monarchy, just not its resting head. — Spokesperson for Buckingham Palace 

The 775-room Palace will continue to serve as the backdrop for royal ceremonies and events, but the sovereign will no longer live there permanently. It remains to be seen what will happen under a possible King William V.