King Charles is allowed to view Buckingham Palace as a working residence for official duties, whereas the late Queen Elizabeth II was forced to call the royal residence her main home for almost her entire 70-year reign. It is a well-known fact that the late monarch, who died in 2022, wasn’t too fond of Buckingham Palace, and instead preferred to spend her time at homes such as Windsor Castle and Sandringham House.
The iconic 775 room residence is currently undergoing long-term building work, with the completion set for sometime in 2027. The project, which had a budget of £369 million, has focused on upgrading the infrastructure.
While the Queen was forced to live at the palace for several decades, King Charles’s principal residence is Clarence House, which is located just a stone’s throw away, further down The Mall.
Long before this move was approved for King Charles and Queen Camilla, the late Queen is said to have wanted Clarence House as her main residence in the earliest days of her reign.
The late royal and Prince Philip renovated the residence but were forced to move permanently into Buckingham Palace shortly after she succeeded her father in 1952.
As well as the late Queen, Philip also wanted to remain at Clarence House. Speaking previously to 9Honey, host Alberto Angela said: “He would have gladly left this building to his mother-in-law and he would have stayed in the more intimate and comfortable Clarence House.”
At the time they offical move to Buckingham Palace, the couple effectively swapped places with the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret – who moved out of Buckingham Palace and into Clarence House.
Despite Buckingham Palace being her official residence, the late Queen, much like Charles today, spent major holidays at her other residences.
The late Queen and Philip, who died in 2021, spent Easter in Windsor. The couple spent the summer months to relax at Balmoral Castle. During the winter months, the couple spent Christmas at the Sandringham estate.