“A king without a palace to live in”: Why King Charles III can’t live in Buckingham Palace
King Charles III has reportedly been stopped from moving into Buckingham Palace - and won’t be able to for five years - due to delays to multi-million-dollar renovations.
Instead, The Sun reports that the king and Queen Consort Camilla will divide their time between several residences, including three days a week at Clarence House, two days at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham, Norfolk.
A source told the outlet that the monarch’s move-in date to the royal residence in London has been delayed as renovations are “very far behind schedule”.
“Refurbishment is very far behind schedule but the Monarch should be living at Buckingham Palace,” they said.
“It’s the heart of the monarchy in London, otherwise it risks becoming just a tourist attraction. We effectively have a king without a palace to live in.”
The ten-year refurbishment is only half-complete, with the project including fitting new electrics, plumbing and heating and the palace uninhabitable until 2027.
As for Christmas festivities, Charles is said to be planning to host his family at Sandringham, with a source telling The Sun that it would be a “difficult Christmas this year” as the royal family continues to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The source added that the monarch considers Sandringham a “sort of retreat when needed”, which would be especially needed during the festive season.
The news comes less than a month after it was announced that several of the late Queen’s royal residences would reopen to the public, including the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
However, the Royal Collection Trust confirmed that the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace would not go forward this year.
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