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In a departure from tradition, they will instead make Clarence House their forever home, having lived there for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter careful consideration, and to greatly increase opportunities for public access, the King<\/a> and Queen have decided not to adopt Buckingham Palace as a personal residence and will instead continue to use Clarence House<\/a> as their London<\/a> home,\u201d said James Chalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir Majesties will, however, have access to private rooms within the palace where they can retire during the course of a working day, and which could be utilised as potential residential accommodation in times ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace has been the official home of the sovereign and headquarters of the monarchy since 1837.<\/p>\n The move is intended to open up the palace to the public on a much wider scale. Its restoration and renovation, which is funded by the taxpayer, includes an overhaul of the building\u2019s electrics, plumbing and heating, as well as accessibility improvements. It is scheduled for completion before 31 March 2027.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is both a change from the past and a recognition of the future,\u201d added Chalmers. \u201cLet me be clear, however, that in all other ways Buckingham Palace will continue to be both the ceremonial and operational centre of royal life.\u201d<\/p>\n So what is Clarence House like? Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Charles and Camilla\u2019s home.<\/p>\n Clarence House was built between 1825 and 1827<\/p>\n PA<\/p>\n Built by John Nash between 1825 and 1827, this Grade I-listed mansion meets the west end of St James\u2019s Palace on the Mall, just a stone\u2019s throw from Buckingham Palace.<\/p>\n It is a four-storey building with a creamy, stucco fa\u00e7ade, designed in a neoclassical style. Compared to Buckingham Palace, Clarence House has smaller, more intimate proportions, and plainer \u2014relatively speaking\u2014 interiors.<\/p>\n As its name suggests, it was built for the Duke of Clarence, later William IV, and since then has been home to a string of royal family members. Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, moved in with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, living there until she became queen in 1952.<\/p>\n Afterwards, the house was prepared for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who moved in with Princess Margaret shortly before the coronation in 1953. <\/p>\n Over her 50-year tenure, she turned the Duke of Edinburgh\u2019s study into the Morning Room, installing a Georgian marble chimney place and a new plaster ceiling. She also opened out two ground floor rooms to create the new Garden Room, used to entertain large groups of guests, and used the walls to display some of the most important artworks from the royal collection.<\/p>\n In the past, Clarence House has been opened to the public for limited periods, usually during the summer. However, it is currently closed to visitors. <\/p>\n Charles and Camilla\u2019s time in Clarence House<\/strong><\/p>\n The fireplace in the Morning Room<\/p>\n Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n The renovation included new colour schemes, textiles and pieces of artwork, but remained fairly faithful to the Queen Mother\u2019s tastes. \u201cThe alterations were designed to reflect the change of occupancy, while maintaining the familiar atmosphere of a much-loved family house,\u201d reads the royal family\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Today, the house has a symmetrical layout, with a series of rooms branching off the central entrance hall with a red carpet and walls hung with gold-framed paintings. At the far end, displayed prominently, hangs the Queen Mother\u2019s Garter Banner, depicting the royal arms and her family crest.<\/p>\n To the left is the Morning Room, with its ornate ceiling plasterwork showing Queen Elizabeth\u2019s crown, and large windows overlooking the garden.<\/p>\n It leads through to the library, now used as a smaller dining room, as well as to the formal dining room, where Charles and Camilla added bronze ceiling coving as part of their restoration. Above the fireplace is a large portrait of the Queen Mother.<\/p>\n To the right, another corridor \u2014known as the Horse Corridor for its collection of equestrian paintings\u2014 leads to the Garden Room, which contains a grand piano and a golden harp. A lift is tucked just behind the passage.<\/p>\n Photos of Princes George and Louis\u2019 christenings were taken in the Morning Room<\/p>\n Matt Holyoak\/Camera Press via PA<\/p>\n Since moving in in 2003, planning applications show that the couple have undertaken regular maintenance of the property, including updating the basement-level staff kitchen, repairing the boundary wall, redecorating part of the exterior, and refurbishing the Porte Cochere terrace outside.<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PA-1777040.jpg\")
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