Buckingham Palace without the king? Charles reveals plans for landmark's future

Jennifer Hassan, USA TODAYFri, June 26, 2026 at 3:39 PM UTC

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Buckingham Palace is having a monumental glow up, but King Charles III and Queen Camilla still don't want to live there.

Around $487 million (£370 million) is being spent on the London landmark as part of a 10-year refurbishment plan. While the makeover is set to be completed next spring, the monarch will not move in when the works are complete, the palace said in a press release June 26.

Instead, Charles and Camilla will remain living at nearby Clarence House, where they have lived together since they married in 2005. Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, was born at Buckingham Palace in 1948.

"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," the statement said.

The king's decision not to move into the 775-room palace made the front page of most British tabloids Friday morning.

"A palace not fit for a king!" read the front cover of the Daily Express. "Big bucks for an empty home," wrote the Daily Mirror. "King will never live at the palace," was the headline splashed across the front page of the Daily Telegraph.

The tax-payer funded refurbishment, which began in April 2017, includes the replacement of ageing cabling, plumbing and heating, some of which had not been since the 1950s.  Water tanks, boilers and pipework are among the items being replaced.

"The building's infrastructure is in urgent need of a complete overhaul to prevent long-term damage to the building and its contents," reads an information page about the reservicing efforts on the official royal website. It noted the palace was home to "potentially dangerous electrical cabling" with Vulcanized Indian Rubber that was installed in the 1940s being replaced due to fire concerns.

The palace previously said the updates to the landmark would reduce the building's carbon footprint by 40% over time. It will continue to serve as the monarchy's administrative headquarters.

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The BBC reported Friday that age may be a contributing factor as to why the king and queen do not want the "upheaval" of relocating with their staff to the palace next year. Charles is 77 and Camilla is 78.

James Chalmers, who manages royal finances said the palace “will continue to be both the ceremonial and operational centre of Royal life" and that it would remain "the Crown Jewel of our national buildings."

Chalmers said the palace "will also continue as the primary workplace of the Royal Household. It will provide a modern working environment fit for the world of today and for the future, and where we embed sustainability across all our operations, in line with His Majesty’s leadership.”

How long have British monarchs lived at Buckingham Palace?

The palace has served as the official residence of the British sovereign since 1837, when Queen Victoria used the landmark to grow her family with husband Prince Albert. Victoria also used the palace for entertainment purposes and as a site of official business.

Queen Elizabeth II grew up at Buckingham Palace but was moved to Windsor Castle during World War II for safety. Once monarch, Elizabeth spent much of her lengthy reign at the palace, living in the private apartments on the north side of the landmark, though she often spent summers at the royal Scottish estate of Balmoral Castle.

In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the queen and husband Prince Philip relocated to Windsor Castle, where Philip died at the age of 99 in April 2021. Elizabeth died in September 2022 at Balmoral, ending her 70-year reign.

With the palace void of a sovereign living inside its walls, the building will hopefully see even greater public access, in turn generating more income. The palace is open to the public during the summer months and for a limited number of guided tours throughout the year. It is also used for myriad events including garden parties, state banquets and national celebrations.

Tourists frequently flock to the building to witness the traditional Changing the Guard ceremony, which was cancelled in a rare move this week amid a punishing heatwave sweeping Britain and Europe.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: King Charles and Queen Camilla give update on Buckingham Palace future

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