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Where will King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla live?

Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a £369 million taxpayer-funded refurbishment

Joe Middleton
Sunday 11 September 2022 00:30 BST
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King Charles greets members of the public outside Clarence House

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Queen Elizabeth II had a number of residences, including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Windsor Castle.

However, after her death at the age of 96 on Thursday, the question is where will the newly crowned King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, be based?

Since their marriage in April 2005, the royal couple has lived at Clarence House in London and Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

There has not yet been any official announcement from Buckingham Palace or Clarence House on where they will live but it is strongly suspected the new King will want to reside at Buckingham Palace.

The central London royal home was first used by Queen Victoria in 1837 and is considered the official residence of British monarchs.

The opulent 775-room palace includes 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Charles is “firmly of the view that it’s the visible symbol of the monarchy in the nation’s capital and therefore must be his home”.

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London (AP)

A royal source told the newspaper: “There is no question about it. HRH’s view is that you need a monarch at monarchy HQ. This has never been in doubt.”

Prior to her death, the Queen spent large portions of her time at Windsor Castle because Buckingham Palace is undergoing a £369 million taxpayer-funded refurbishment.

The project - which involves updating the heating, plumbing and electrical cabling - will not be complete until 2027, so Charles and Camilla could stay away from Buckingham Palace until then.

Fortunately, they have a number of homes to choose from in the meantime. As well as Clarence House and Highgrove, they have Birkhall, in Scotland, the former home of the Queen Mother.

They also own a home in Wales, Llwynywermod, near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, which they stay at during the annual tour of the country they conducted for the King’s former Prince of Wales role.

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