State functions, public access and office space: the plans for revamped Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, undergoing renovations for 10 years, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists a year. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters View image in fullscreen Buckingham Palace, undergoing renovations for 10 years, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists a year. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters State functions, public access and office space: the plans for revamped Buckingham Palace King Charles will never live in landmark despite £369m upgrade, but aides stress it will remain ‘buzzing hive’ of royal activity Not all modern British monarchs have viewed the prospect of moving into Buckingham Palace with unalloyed joy. So in announcing he will never live there, after the completion of its £369m upgrade next year, King Charles has at least grasped that nettle. Queen Victoria was initially dismayed by the damp, dingy and disorganised building that greeted her and Prince Albert in 1837. It was Albert who refashioned it into “Monarchy HQ”. After his 1861 death, Victoria retreated mainly to Windsor, Balmoral and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Previously, Victoria’s uncle, William IV, had shown no love for it, staying instead in Clarence House – the very same royal residence round the corner on the Mall where Charles has chosen to live. William IV even tried to palm it off on parliament when the Palace of Westminster, which comprises both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, burned down in 1834 – an offer swiftly rejected by MPs. Queen Elizabeth II, who also wished for her and Prince Philip to remain in Clarence House, had to be firmly steered to Buckingham Palace by an uncompromising Winston Churchill, her first prime minister. Prince William, for his part, appears to share his father’s thoughts, letting it be known that he and Catherine, Princess of Wales, regard Forest Lodge, their Windsor mansion, as their “forever home”. Buckingham Palace’s status as the official London residence of royalty draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, and has provided an iconic backdrop for world leaders on state visits over almost two centuries. Palace aides stress that no one will notice the difference if Charles sleeps there or not: it will remain a “buzzing hive” of royal activity. The sovereign flag will still flutter from its flagpole, though merely to indicate Charles is in London, as has been the case since his accession due to the 10-year building works to overhaul the 1950s infrastructure and make it fit for purpose for another half-century, expected to complete next year. Charles is seen regularly, while in London, crisscrossing the Mall between his Clarence House home and the office, and will continue to do so. State functions, including banquets, royal dinners, receptions, audiences, honours ceremonies and garden parties, will all remain at Buckingham Palace. World leaders could still stay there during state visits, if they so wished. Charles and Camilla can pop up to the late Queen’s private rooms, once refurbished, fo