After a cool $487 million facelift spanning a decade, Buckingham Palace is almost ready for its grand reveal. The only catch? King Charles isn't moving in.
Yes, the royal residence, which has been under the knife since 2017, was once presumed to be the future digs for Charles and Camilla. But a recent Sovereign Grant Report dropped the news: not happening. Instead, His Majesty will continue to call Clarence House home, a place he's apparently quite fond of, having lived there since 2003.
Buckingham Palace, ever the diplomat, released a statement confirming the King's "huge affection" for the place and its "deep respect for its role in royal and public life." It's going to remain a "working home," but the big push now is to "widen public access" and "maximise the national benefit of a publicly-funded building." Which, let's be honest, sounds like a very polite way of saying, "We spent half a billion, so you're all going to enjoy it now."
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Start Your News DetoxThe King's vision is for the palace to remain the "ceremonial center of Royal life" and the primary workplace for the Royal Household. More public access means more chances for commoners to wander halls that cost more to renovate than some small countries' GDP. And honestly, who can blame him for wanting to stay put?
The King's Schedule Remains Full
King Charles has been navigating some health challenges recently, including an undisclosed type of cancer. So, uprooting his entire life for a freshly painted palace probably isn't high on the priority list. Despite all that, he's hardly slowing down. Just recently, he popped into a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training session. He watched the moves, met the students, and even presented a black belt to a REORG team member. He also received his own white belt, because apparently that's where we are now.
One onlooker on Instagram summed it up: "What a privilege to meet the his majesty the King Charles III and talk about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Reorg mission. Very honoured." Another added, "This is so wonderful to watch!! My beloved jiu jitsu being recognized by the King!! What a privilege for everyone there at Roger’s Academy."
So, while Buckingham Palace gets its final polish, the King will be at Clarence House, possibly contemplating his next move on the mat. Because apparently, even royalty needs a hobby.
