King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to vacate the 775-room Buckingham Palace as its decade-long, 369 million ($487 million) refurbishment nears completion, opting instead to reside in the more modest Clarence House.
According to Breitbart, the royal couple will remain just a short distance away in Clarence House, a dignified but far smaller property of roughly a dozen rooms in central London, where they have lived since their marriage in 2005. Royal aides are repositioning Buckingham Palace as a revenue-generating national showpiece, seeking to expand paid public access to the historic residence that has anchored royal life for nearly two centuries.
AP reports Royal officials stressed King Charles and Queen Camilla would continue to work out of the palace, which will remain the ceremonial and operational center of the monarchy. It is and will remain Monarchy HQ, the crown jewel of our national buildings, said James Chalmers, the senior royal official responsible for managing the Kings financial affairs.
The extensive refurbishment costs are detailed in newly released royal finance figures, which also set out the Kings personal tax contributions and the expenses associated with official royal travel. The soon-to-be largely unoccupied palace has served as the official London residence of the British sovereign since 1837, symbolizing continuity and national heritage.
The BBC reports the landmark may now also be able to open for a longer period, generating more income. It currently opens its State Rooms to visitors each summer and on selected dates throughout the rest of the year, the proceeds of which go to the Royal Collection Trust, a charity responsible for the care and conservation of royal art.
The King will continue to host a range of events at the palace, from state banquets and garden parties to receptions and audiences with the prime minister and new ambassadors. For many conservatives, the shift toward greater self-funding through tourism, rather than ever-expanding public subsidy, underscores the enduring value of the monarchy as both a cultural institution and an economic asset.
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