King Charles to make drastic Buckingham Palace changes over lack of 'deference' to Royal Family

King Charles III is expected to update Buckingham Palace in response to the public's changing attitudes to the British monarchy

King Charles to make Buckingham Palace changes over lack of 'deference' to Royal Family
(Image credit: Getty)

King Charles III plans to make changes to Buckingham Palace in response to dwindling support for the British monarchy, a royal insider has claimed. 


King Charles III will make dramatic changes to Buckingham Palace to 'justify' the role of the Royal Family in contemporary Britain, a royal correspondent has predicted. 

The 73-year-old succeeded Queen Elizabeth II as monarch on September 8, becoming the oldest person in history to assume the British throne. 

His mature age is unlikely to affect his vision as King, however, with speculation already brewing that His Majesty has urgent plans to update the Royal Family's headquarters in central London. 

King Charles reportedly plans to 'base' himself at Buckingham Palace, having long believed that the reigning monarch should always hold a residence at the iconic landmark. This decision would mean leaving Clarence House, where he has lived with Camilla, Queen-Consort since 2005, and moving 5 minutes down The Mall into the 775-room tourist attraction. 

It's understood that Charles would have a 'flat above the shop' at Buckingham Palace, allowing the royal to keep his office and accommodation close together for optimal productivity.

Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Getty)

The King isn't about to dominate the entire property, however. It's understood that he intends to deprivatize many of its spaces, with some reports even claiming last year that he wishes to open the site to tourists all year round. 

Buckingham Palace is currently only accessible to the public between the months of July and October, with just its State Apartments and the Queen’s gardens available for viewing. 

Buckingham Palace

The Ball Room at Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Getty)

"I think [King Charles] will base himself at Buckingham Palace, but he’s not going to take over the whole palace, more of it is going to be opened up," Katie Nicholl, Royal correspondent for Vanity Fair, told the Royal Beat this week. 

"He is very aware that this is an age where there isn’t that deference to the Royal Family. They have to justify who they are, what they do, and why we fund them." 

Nicholl also suggested that Charles will "get to work very fast", knowing full well that the public will be expecting an update on the future of Buckingham Palace very soon. 

"It’s not going to be a completely smooth path; we are absolutely in that honeymoon period where he’s riding the wave of public sympathy... But questions are going to be asked, people are going to want to know what’s next, and I think he’s going to be pretty open and pretty transparent," she explained. "I think he’s going to get to work very fast." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.