Will King Charles III, the former Prince of Wales, live at Buckingham Palace as he officially takes his position as Britain's new monarch?
Charles was proclaimed King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September 2022, per the British line of succession.
King Charles' Coronation (Saturday 6th May 2023) at Westminster Abbey in London saw him officially crowned King alongside Camilla, who received the title of Queen. During the ceremony, the monarch took the coronation oath, before he was anointed with holy oil, and blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Sitting in the 14th century King Edward's Chair, the King was then crowned with the St Edward's Crown.
Prior to being head of the monarchy, the then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, resided at Clarence House in London, with other homes including Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, and Llwynywermod in Wales.
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Buckingham Palace, London
A move to Buckingham Palace would be in keeping with tradition, as it has been the official home of British monarchs since 1837. Buckingham Palace has an impressive 775 rooms, including 19 State rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. It also has a Post Office, cinema, swimming pool, doctor's surgery, and jeweller's workshop. The Palace garden is the largest private garden in London, which includes a tennis court, lake, and helicopter pad.
Buckingham Palace is currently embarking on a 10-year renovation project in order to keep the building fit for the future. With the royal residence welcoming around half a million people each summer, the changes to make the Palace safe include a new lift installation, and repair work on aged electrical wiring, water pipes and boilers.
According to the Evening Standard, it is understood that King Charles has started redistributing royal properties ahead of the Coronation. With renovation works at Buckingham Palace still taking place, there has also been speculation that the King may base himself at Windsor Castle.
With homes in England, Scotland and Wales, take a look at King Charles' residences below:
Clarence House, London
Clarence House has been the royal residence of many members of the Royal Family throughout the last 170 years. It was the official London residence of King Charles before the death of Queen Elizabeth II and it is where he continues to live.
Located just a short stroll away from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House was built in the 1820s and has five bedrooms, a drawing room with a central fireplace, a morning room filled with personal photographs, artworks and antiques, and additional principle rooms which have been used for receptions and other official entertaining over the years.
To prepare the building, Clarence House underwent extensive refurbishment and redecoration. The renovation included new colour schemes, updated textiles, and several new pieces from the Royal Collection and from King Charles' own art collection.
Highgrove House, Gloucestershire
Set in the heart of Gloucestershire, Highgrove House, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, was the family residence of Charles and Camilla. Charles bought the country house, along with its glorious gardens and nearby farmland (known as the Duchy Home Farm), in 1980.
Loved by Charles for its easy access to London, Highgrove House has an eco-friendly approach, with modernised features including energy-saving bulbs, solar lights, Biomass boilers, and a specially built reed bed sewage system used for all of Highgrove's waste. Rare trees and plants have been grown for future generations to enjoy, meanwhile heritage seeds are planted to ensure these varieties continue to flourish.
Birkhall, Scotland
Birkhall has been Charles' Scottish home since 2002. Situated on Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral Estate on Royal Deeside, it is the former home of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother – something she described as a 'little big house'.
The structure of the building dates back to 1715, however Birkhall didn't come into the royals' possession until 1852 when Prince Albert acquired it as a gift for his son, the future King Edward VII. In the 1930s, the Duke of York (the future George VI) asked whether he and the Duchess (The Queen Mother) could rent a house near Balmoral and they were granted Birkhall where they set up a Scottish home.
Later on, the Queen Mother paid for the house to be extended, with new additions including a new wing with a drawing room and a range of bedrooms, a round staircase tower, and a new kitchen which was installed in 1980 as a birthday present.
Once Charles inherited the house, he made some improvements to the gardens and rearranged the layout. The property is where Charles and Camilla spend their summer breaks each year, enjoying the pursuits of fishing and walking in the beautiful countryside.
Llwynywermod, Wales
Charles and Camilla's Welsh home, Llwynywermod, in the small village of Myddfai in Carmarthenshire, was bought in 2007 for £1.2 million. Situated on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, the luxurious farmhouse includes three cottages, a Grade II-listed barn and a separate main house.
Originally built as a model farm, the property was transformed by architect Craig Hamilton who implemented Charles' philosophy of building sustainably. The house is made from existing and locally sourced materials, including Welsh slate and lime plaster, there's rainwater storage, and heating and hot water comes from a wood chip boiler.
As for the interiors, Llwynywermod has a lovely main reception room with grand high ceilings and exposed wooden beams, plus three bedrooms, and a bathroom with cream walls and tiles. The interiors were designed by Annabel Elliot, who used predominantly local furniture, textiles and objects. The outside space is picture-perfect. Surrounded by 192 acres of countryside, it includes six English field maples which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate's 2011 wedding, which were later replanted at Llwynywermod.
Lisa Joyner is the Senior Digital Writer at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
