King Charles Won't Move Into Buckingham Palace After £369 Million Renovation
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will not move into Buckingham Palace even after the extensive refurbishment there is completed next year, despite the project costing £369 million. The couple have decided to remain at Clarence House for the rest of Charles's reign. According to James Chalmers, the royal household's finance director, the choice was made after a “thorough review” and is intended to widen public access to the palace.
Chalmers said the king and queen will still be able to use private rooms in the palace during the day and may stay there occasionally, but the building will continue to serve as the royal household's ceremonial and operational center. “Buckingham Palace was and will remain the headquarters of the monarchy,” he said. A royal spokesman added that it would remain the “beating heart of the monarchy,” even if it is no longer the monarch's permanent residence.
The royal accounts also showed that Charles paid £12.9 million in income and capital gains tax on his private income in 2024 to 2025, up from £11.7 million in 2023 to 2024. Since he became king, his tax payments have totaled more than £30 million. Prince William also paid £7.76 million in tax in 2024 to 2025. Neither the king nor the heir is legally required to pay tax, but the royal family has done so voluntarily since 1993, after public criticism following the fire at Windsor Castle.
The reports further said the sovereign grant, the public funding used by the king for official duties, will nearly double over the next three years, rising to £99.9 million in 2027 to 2028 from £51.8 million in 2024 to 2025, after a decision by the royal trustees, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The figures drew criticism from tax campaigner Dan Neidle, who said publishing the amount Charles paid does not provide real transparency because no breakdown was released to verify it. Republic, the anti-monarchy group, also criticized the size of the public grant and said that after spending £369 million on the palace renovation, the king does not plan to live there. The group called for Buckingham Palace to be open to the public year-round. The accounts also revealed that Charles received £25.2 million from the Duchy of Lancaster in 2025 to 2026, and that William has asked to forgo £1.5 million a year from leasing the unused Dartmoor prison from 2026 to 2027 so the money can go toward restoring nearby Princetown.
