King Charles and Queen Camilla will reportedly not be moving into Buckingham Palace when its £369M renovations are officially complete next year, breaking a royal tradition of more than 200 years!
King Charles has already broken a few royal traditions since taking the throne in 2022 – including hugging fans, kissing daughter-in-law Kate Middleton on the cheek at the Duchess of Kent‘s funeral, having a small (ish) coronation, and more – and it looks like he and Queen Camilla will be adding one more to the list when it comes to their official place of residence. Keep reading to find out more…
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King Charles And Queen Camilla Will Not Live In Buckingham Palace, Breaking A 200-Year Tradition
King Charles and Queen Camilla will reportedly not take up residence at Buckingham Palace once the pricy refurbishments are completed next year, instead choosing to stay at Clarence House "permanently," to quote a BBC reporter.
It will mark the first time in nearly 200 years that the monarch has chosen not to live at Buckingham Palace. St James's Palace served as the principal residence of the British monarchy from 1698 until Queen Victoria's accession in 1837, FYI.
Buckingham Palace will, however, continue to operate as the administrative headquarters of the monarchy, with the renovation expected to be completed in March 2027. The King and Queen Consort have also reportedly supported plans to increase public access to the landmark to increase tourism, making Clarence House the more practical long-term residence for them.
King Charles And Prince William Breaking With Royal Tradition
The King has already broken with royal tradition in recent years, including opting for a more scaled-back coronation in 2023 compared to the late Queen Elizabeth II's in 1953. In terms of guests alone, Charles had around 2,000 attendees at Westminster Abbey, whereas his late mother welcomed more than 8,000 guests, which even required temporary stands to be built to accommodate them!
Prince William has also hinted that he will take a more modern approach, suggesting less pomp and pageantry when he eventually becomes King. It remains to be seen whether he will choose to live in Buckingham Palace with wife Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Let's not forget that the Prince and Princess of Wales have already departed from some longstanding royal traditions over the years, including choosing close friends rather than senior royals or aristocrats to be their children's godparents.
They've also challenged the convention that heirs shouldn't travel together after the age of 12 in order to protect the line of succession.
