EXCLUSIVE: It has been revealed that the King will not live at Buckingham Palace once £369million refurbishment works are completed - and royal expert Jennie Bond has questioned whether it will now remain the “beating heart of the monarchy”14:43, 26 Jun 2026King Charles’ historic decision not to live at Buckingham Palace following a £369million refurbishment will “rub away” its magic, according to a royal expert.‌Despite the renovations paid for by the taxpayer, Charles has decided it will not be the official residence of his reign. Instead, he and Queen Camilla will continue to live at nearby Clarence House in London, while the monarch continues to keep homes in Scotland, Gloucestershire and Norfolk, as well as using Windsor Castle in Berkshire.‌There was a general expectation that the King would live at Buckingham Palace when the works are finished as it was so closely associated with the late Queen, who had an apartment at the residence.‌XCharles’ decision ends nearly 200 years of history of the monarch being based at Buckingham Palace, since Queen Victoria took up residence in 1837.‌And with tourists and other visitors flocking to the palace each year to catch a glimpse of the famous building, royal expert Jennie Bond believes its allure could be compromised.The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “There’s no denying that part of the attraction of the Palace was always to stand by the railings and look up to see if there was a curtain twitching and a crowned head peeking out!“It’s all a fantasy, of course, because the private apartments are tucked back and, in any case, no one has lived at the Palace now for nearly seven years. Has anyone noticed? Probably not.‌“There will still be a chance to see the King or other members of the family popping into the Palace for meetings or events. The garden parties will still take place, and the Changing of the Guard will be the same spectacle. But there’s no denying that a bit of the magic will have been rubbed away.“The Palace insists it will still be the beating heart of the monarchy. I’m not so sure, but it is certainly going to have to pay its way in the future.”‌It has been said that the decision has been taken partly to increase public access to the London landmark, as security concerns if the King was in residence would limit the numbers and areas people could visit.A palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty retains huge affection for Buckingham Palace and a deep respect for its role in royal and public life. It will be a buzzing hive of royal activity in every other way”. And Jennie explained there could be one upside to the decision - but only if the building is made more accessible to the public.She explained: “On the plus side, there’s going to be a lot more public access to the Palace – and that will bring both revenue and pleasure. But you do have to wonder why on earth £370 million of taxpayers’ money has been used to renovate a Palace which, for the foreseeable future, will never be occupied by royalty.‌“Yes, it was crumbling in places, and there was a huge amount of maintenance necessary. But it was always with the expectation that it would remain the principal home of the monarch. Not that I would wish a compulsory move on King Charles.“He and Camilla have made a cosy, comfortable home at Clarence House, which, after all, is just down the road. Why force them to uproot themselves at their age and live somewhere they don’t want to be?‌“Winston Churchill forced the young Elizabeth and Philip to move to the Palace, which caused them all sorts of pain. I’m glad we’ve progressed from that.”The large London building has been undergoing a 10-year re-servicing project replacing boilers, electrical cables and pipes costing £369 million to reduce the fire and flood risk, which is due to be completed next March.Charles has lived at Clarence House, the former home of the Queen Mother, since 2003 and will continue to host a range of events at the palace from garden parties to receptions and hold audiences with new ambassadors.‌When the King is in London, his royal standard flies from both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, whichever property he resides in.Jennie added: “I’ve been to the Palace many times and it’s a great barn of a place. To my mind, it’s all a bit gaudy. But I’m sure people will want to visit the many grand rooms and the gardens, if it is allowed, and the building will become a much-loved museum piece, while still housing many offices for the King’s staff.”Article continues below