Buckingham Palace is arguably the most famous home in the world. When the sovereign is in residence, the royal standard flies high over the stately palace. The site of countless royal births, deaths, christenings and familial balcony appearances, it has been the official London home of the monarch since 1837. But in the past few years, the only residents appear to be one royal couple, some staff, and a handful of ghosts.
One person currently not living at “Buck House” is King Charles III, but he has a good excuse: The palace is currently undergoing a massive $466 million renovation. However, this is probably a relief. “I know he is no fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the palace,” an insider told The Sunday Times. “He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that’s fit for purpose in the modern world. He feels its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”
Royal historian Ingrid Seward agrees. “They [Charles and Camilla] would much rather stay at Clarence House,” she told Newsweek in 2023. “None of the royals liked living at BP. It’s vast and impersonal. It is an official residence, not a home.”
Boasting 775 rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms, living in Buckingham Palace has been likened to “living above the shop,” staying in a giant hotel or “camping in a museum.” According to Andrew Morton’s Inside Buckingham Palace, Queen Mary herself got lost for three hours while exploring all the nooks and crannies of her new home. It is so vast, intruders have been a problem since Queen Victoria’s day, culminating in Michael Fagan accosting Queen Elizabeth II in her bedroom in 1982.
While the private royal apartments run along the northwest flank of the building, the rest of Buckingham Palace is a giant office building, seasonal museum, and events space. According to the official royal website, 50,000 people visit each year, enjoying state banquets, receptions, and garden parties. Outside the gates, the Mall is packed with tourists. “I should put a dummy of myself inside my windows,” Prince Andrew once said, reportedly.
“What happens on the other side of a wall is always an intriguing question, and when the wall is in the middle of London and encloses the garden of Buckingham Palace, it is positively tantalizing,” the late Prince Philip once noted, per Morton.