EXCLUSIVE: King Charles Slammed for 'Selfish and Self-Indulgent' Decision Not to Live at Buckingham Palace
King Charles is in hot water over his decision not to live at Buckingham Palace.
June 28 2026, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
King Charles has been slammed after confirming he will not return to live at Buckingham Palace once its near-$500million refurbishment is completed, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
One senior UK Labour Party figure is arguing the decision raises questions about the use of public money.
'They're Now Not Going to Move Back There'
King Charles doesn't appear to have any interest in living at Buckingham Palace.
The criticism follows confirmation from royal officials the King, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, will continue to use Clarence House as their London residence rather than move into the extensively renovated palace.
Buckingham Palace, which has undergone a decade-long infrastructure overhaul to replace aging boilers, electrical systems, and pipework, will instead remain the operational headquarters of the monarchy, with private accommodation available for the King and Queen during official duties.
The expensive project, expected to conclude next March, was designed to reduce fire and flood risks while modernizing the historic building.
Baroness Margaret Hodge, the former Labour MP for Barking and former chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, is now questioning whether the expenditure represented value for taxpayers.
She said: "They've spent £370million ($489million) on doing up Buckingham Palace. They're now not going to move back there."
Pressed on whether she believed that was a problem, Hodge replied: "I think it is."
Royal officials have rejected suggestions that the decision represents a significant departure, noting that the monarch has not lived regularly at Buckingham Palace for several years.
Queen Elizabeth II last stayed overnight at the palace on March 18, 2020, before relocating to Windsor Castle ahead of the first Covid lockdown.
Queen Victoria moved her court to Buckingham Palace at the time.
James Chalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse, explained the reasoning behind the move.
He said: "After careful consideration, and to greatly increase opportunities for public access, the King and Queen have decided not to adopt Buckingham Palace as a personal residence and will instead continue to use Clarence House as their London home."
He added: "Their Majesties will, however, have access to private rooms within the palace where they can retire during the course of a working day, and which could be utilized as potential residential accommodation in times ahead."
Buckingham Palace has served as the monarch's principal official residence since Queen Victoria established it as the seat of court in 1837, transforming the building after her marriage to Prince Albert to accommodate family life, official engagements, and state entertaining.
Shocking Tax Bills of the Royal Family Revealed
Prince William recently disclosed his total tax payments.
The latest annual royal financial accounts also showed Charles paid approximately $17.4million in tax during the 2024-25 financial year, following an estimated $15.8million the previous year. Since becoming King in 2022, he has paid more than $40.5million in taxes.
The Sovereign Grant, which funds the monarch's official duties and household operations, increased to approximately $178million for 2025-'26, while its core funding element is projected to rise from about $70million to roughly $135 million by 2027-28.
Prince William, 44, also disclosed his tax payments for the first time, paying approximately $10.5million in 2024-'25 and about $11.3million the previous year.
His charter flight to Saudi Arabia in February was the royal family's most expensive overseas trip, costing about $176,000.
Hidden Royal Wealth Under Intense Fire
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Edward III created two large royal financial accounts.
Hodge also questioned the financial arrangements surrounding the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster.
She said: "Their personal taxation shouldn't be a concern of us. What I am bothered about is that they get the sovereign grant, they get money from the Crown Estate, and then they have these two big pots of money, they have the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster.
"Now, in my view, those are both public pots of money. The Royal Family doesn't agree with me."
"They were given to the Royal Family in the 13th century by Edward III as a sovereign grant, so I think they should still be part of the public pot, and if you put all that together, it's one heck of a lot of money," Hodge added.
Another critic said Charles' decision not to live in Buckingham Palace was "selfish and self-indulgent."
They added: "With this amount of money being spent on Buckingham Palace, Charles should install himself there and help bring in tourism money to Britain."
