“A king without a palace to live in”: Why King Charles III can’t live in Buckingham Palace
<p dir="ltr">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.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Instead, <em>The Sun </em>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.</p>
<p dir="ltr">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”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Refurbishment is very far behind schedule but the Monarch should be living at Buckingham Palace,” they said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“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.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The ten-year refurbishment is only half-complete, with the project including fitting new electrics, plumbing and heating and the palace uninhabitable until 2027.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As for Christmas festivities, Charles is said to be planning to host his family at Sandringham, with a source telling <em>The Sun</em> that it would be a “difficult Christmas this year” as the royal family continues to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The source added that the monarch considers Sandringham a “sort of retreat when needed”, which would be especially needed during the festive season.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The news comes less than a month after it was announced that <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/you-could-visit-the-queen-s-residences-sooner-than-expected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several of the late Queen’s royal residences would reopen to the public</a>, including the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, the Royal Collection Trust confirmed that the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace would not go forward this year.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>
