King Charles: End of an era: Breaking 180 years of tradition, King Charles won’t live in Buckingham Palace
Royal officials report that a decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace will be completed next year and King Charles will no longer reside at Buckingham Palace. This ends the central London landmark’s nearly two-century history as the British monarch’s primary residence.When the £369 million refurbishment of Buckingham Palace ends in March 2027, the King and Queen Camilla will continue to reside at Clarence House, their long-term home near London. The project includes replacing aging electrical wiring, pipes and heating systems, many for the first time in 60 years, amid concerns about potential fire and flood damage.
James Chalmers, the king’s treasurer and keeper of his personal treasury, said Buckingham Palace would remain the main venue for ceremonies and official events, including state banquets, garden parties and interviews with the prime minister.Chalmers told reporters: “It is and will remain the headquarters of the monarchy, the crown jewel of our nation’s architecture, with the monarch’s flag flying proudly from the rooftops whenever His Majesty visits London.”Officials said the decision was made to allow more members of the public to visit the landmark. The palace has been the monarch’s official residence in London since 1837 and currently opens its state rooms to visitors each summer and on select dates at other times of the year. Approximately 700,000 people visit each year.Neither Charles nor the late Queen Elizabeth has stayed overnight at the palace since 2019. There the king would keep private rooms that could be used as accommodation.
Kim reveals tax status
In another development, royal accounts show Charles has become the first monarch to publish his tax payments. He paid £12.9 million in tax in 2024-25 and £11.7 million in 2023-24, ranking him among the top 100 UK taxpayers.Chalmers said that since becoming king in 2022, the king has paid more than 30 million pounds in taxes.By law, the British monarch is not obliged to pay income, capital gains or inheritance tax, but Charles did so voluntarily, as his mother did after 1993, without disclosing the amount.The accounts also show that the Sovereign Grant, which provides state funding for the monarchy, will fall from £137.9m in 2027-28 to £99.9m as refurbishment work at Buckingham Palace ends. The new figure is almost double the £51.8m core allocation for 2024-25.The fee will help pay for the occupied palace’s backlog of maintenance costs, strengthen cyber security and install energy-efficient heating systems. Windsor Castle has also set aside around £11 million to replace boilers that are about to become obsolete.Prince William, the heir to the throne, paid £7.76 million in tax in 2024-25, his office said.
