King Charles III has confirmed he will not move into Buckingham Palace, even after its $487 million, decade-long renovation is complete - ending a tradition of royal residency at the palace that has stood since Queen Victoria's reign in 1837.
The announcement came during a royal finance briefing, where senior officials revealed that Charles and Queen Camilla will continue living at Clarence House, their London residence since his years as Prince of Wales. Buckingham Palace, meanwhile, will remain what officials called "Monarchy HQ" - the ceremonial and administrative center of the royal household, hosting state banquets, investitures, and diplomatic events.
Royal officials say the decision is rooted in public access. Without a resident monarch occupying its private apartments, the palace's 775 rooms can be opened more widely to visitors and tours, expanding on the roughly 700,000 guests it already welcomes each year.
The residence news arrived the same day Charles became the first British monarch in history to publicly disclose his personal tax bill - $16.1 million paid in the 2024-25 financial year - a transparency move widely seen as an effort to distance the monarchy from the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Though the palace changes hands in purpose rather than occupant, Charles's role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England remains untouched by the move - a reminder that for the British monarchy, spiritual duty has never been tied to a single address.
Officials say more details on Buckingham Palace's expanded public role are expected in the coming months.
