King Charles to Remain in Lavish Clarence House While Taxpayer-Funded Palace Gets £369 Million Makeover
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King Charles III will continue residing in the opulent Clarence House while the public foots a £369 million bill for Buckingham Palace renovations. Despite voluntarily paying £12.9 million in taxes, the monarchy remains shielded by legal exemptions and immense inherited wealth.
King Charles III will not move into Buckingham Palace after its decade-long, taxpayer-funded refurbishment ends next year, royal officials announced Thursday. Instead, the monarch and Queen Camilla will remain ensconced in Clarence House, their luxurious London residence, while the palace undergoes its costly upgrade.
James Chalmers, the king’s treasurer and keeper of the privy purse, insisted that Buckingham Palace will continue to serve as the main venue for ceremonial and official functions, including lavish receptions for foreign dignitaries. > "It is and will remain monarchy HQ, the crown jewel of our national buildings," Chalmers told reporters, glossing over the enormous public expense involved.
The renovation, which began in 2017, is expected to cost about £369 million—money drawn from public funds—covering replacement of outdated electrical wiring, plumbing, and heating systems in the 775-room palace. The building, a symbol of inherited privilege since Queen Victoria’s reign, also houses royal offices and hosts extravagant state events. Officials claimed the work will allow greater public access, but failed to provide meaningful details.
On the same day, the king released his personal tax details for the first time since ascending the throne. He paid £12.9 million in taxes for the 2024/25 fiscal year, placing him among the top 100 taxpayers in Britain. Yet, by law, the sovereign is exempt from income, capital gains, and inheritance taxes—a privilege not enjoyed by ordinary citizens. Charles, following the practice of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, has only voluntarily paid these taxes, a gesture that does little to address the monarchy’s fundamentally undemocratic privileges.
The monarch also receives private income from the Duchy of Lancaster estate and other investments, a centuries-old arrangement that continues to funnel wealth to the royal family. Prince William, the heir apparent, reported tax payments of £7.76 million for the same period, further highlighting the staggering concentration of wealth at the top.
These announcements come as the royal family faces renewed scrutiny, especially after recent media coverage of Prince Andrew’s associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—a stark reminder of the institution’s ongoing scandals and lack of accountability.