King Charles Has a Slew of Housing Options

We know the burning question on everyone's mind this Monday morning: Where are the new king of England and his queen consort going to hunker down for the long haul? Options abound, though opinions on where the royal couple will end up vary. The Independent notes it's "strongly suspected" King Charles III wants to head to the obvious choice: the 775-room Buckingham Palace, which is considered the official monarch residence (Queen Victoria first set up house there in 1837). In February, a source told the Daily Mail that Charles was "firmly of the view that it's the visible symbol of the monarchy in the nation's capital and therefore must be his home" once he ascended to the throne.

However, the London Times notes that "Charles does not even like Buckingham Palace," with reports in the past hinting at him making that estate the monarch's headquarters—used for banquets, receptions, and other events, or even opened to the public as a museum—while he lived elsewhere. Plus, Buckingham is currently undergoing a $430 million renovation not set to be complete for another five years, which often sent the late Queen Elizabeth II to stay at Windsor Castle. And that's another place where Charles could decide to go, though a former courtier has said the king isn't thrilled with Windsor, either.

Other options include London's Clarence House, which Charles and Camilla have lived in much of the time since they got married in 2005. Then there's Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, their country estate that Camilla is said to never really have warmed to, as Charles and Diana used to spend their weekends there. And then there's Scotland's Balmoral and Sandringham in Norfolk, which are used for royal getaways, as well as Llwynywermod, Charles' Welsh cottage. Or, Charles and Camilla could simply do a split of sorts, as the queen and Prince Philip did for many years, per the Times: "Buckingham Palace during the week, Windsor Castle for the weekend, Balmoral for the summer, and Sandringham for Christmas." House Beautiful offers a deeper peek into a few of the king's possible future abodes. (More King Charles III stories.)