Buckingham Palace Renovated for 750 Billion Won... King Charles III Will Not Move In

It has been reported that King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his wife will not reside in Buckingham Palace even after its extensive renovation is completed. Since Queen Victoria moved in back in 1837, Buckingham Palace has served as the official residence of the British monarch. However, King Charles III plans to continue using Clarence House, his current home, as his official residence.

Reuters Yonhap News

According to the BBC on the 25th (local time), King Charles III will continue to use Buckingham Palace, which will complete a ten-year remodeling project in March next year, as the administrative headquarters of the monarch. However, his actual official residence will remain Clarence House, located next to St James's Palace nearby. The renovation of Buckingham Palace cost 369 million pounds (approximately 750 billion won).

King Charles III has lived in Clarence House continually since he remarried Queen Camilla in 2005, when he was still Prince of Wales. When the monarch is in London, the royal standard is flown at both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.

Buckingham Palace has long been regarded as a symbol of the British royal family. Since Queen Victoria, it has served as the official residence for every British monarch. Even when the monarch stayed for extended periods at other royal residences such as Windsor Castle or Balmoral Castle, the official residence remained Buckingham Palace. The fact that royal announcements are made in the name of "Buckingham Palace" reflects this symbolic significance.

However, it is reported that King Charles III and Queen Camilla, now in their seventies, are hesitant to undertake such a large-scale move. The complexity of managing visitor access and security if the King were to live there in practice also appears to have been a factor in the decision.

Utilizing Buckingham Palace as an administrative and ceremonial space, rather than as the monarch's residence, has the advantage of allowing for greater public access. Currently, Buckingham Palace opens its reception rooms to the public every summer, while during other seasons, access is limited to certain dates. The annual number of visitors reaches around 700,000.

Buckingham Palace has a total of 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. Even during the remodeling period, major royal events such as state visits, investitures, and receptions continued to be held there. In addition, during major events such as Trooping the Colour, the official celebration of the monarch's birthday in June every year, members of the royal family greet crowds from the palace balcony.

Officials at Buckingham Palace stated, "The King still holds Buckingham Palace in great affection and respects the role it plays in the life of the royal family and the nation," adding, "Buckingham Palace will continue to serve as the ceremonial and operational headquarters of the royal family in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.