Event: Charles III

King Charles III will not live at Buckingham Palace after the completion of a 10-year, £369 million ($487 million) refurbishment programme as the monarchy seeks to increase public access to the historic building that has been the centre of royal life for almost 200 years.Royal officials stressed that the king and Queen Camilla would continue to work out of the palace, which will remain "the ceremonial and operational centre" of the monarchy. But for the rest of Charles' reign, the King and Queen will remain in nearby Clarence House."It is and will remain Monarchy HQ, the crown jewel of our national buildings," said James Chalmers, the senior royal official responsible for managing the King's financial affairs.Also read: British Royalty, the industry that keeps givingThe decision was announced Thursday (June 25, 2026) during a briefing on royal finances at which Charles became the first British monarch to reveal the taxes he paid to the government. The King paid £12.9 million ($16.1 million) in income and capital gains taxes in the 2024-25 financial year, up from £11.7 million the previous year.The royals are trying to respond to criticismThe announcements come as the royal family tries to shift the narrative after months of embarrassing headlines about links between the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The public's focus on Mountbatten-Windsor has overshadowed the King's efforts to modernise the monarchy and show that the 1,000-year-old institution can evolve.Built in the 1820s, Buckingham Palace has been the London home of every British monarch since Queen Victoria. With 775 rooms, the palace also provides office space for the royal bureaucracy and hosts lavish state dinners for visiting presidents and potentates.The palace is also a focal point for the public, with crowds gathering under its famous balcony to…