Clarence House An Encyclopedia of British Royal Palaces and Royal Builders

Table Of Content

• The Emperor and Empress of Japan to make State Visit to the UK
• John Baker
• Buckingham Palace garden
• Laurie Ghielmetti Art
• The double cancer blow to Kate and King Charles leaves Britain’s royal family depleted and strained
• Prince Harry arrives in London after his father, King Charles III, is diagnosed with cancer

Built between 1825 and 1827 to a design by John Nash, Clarence House was commissioned by the Duke of Clarence who would go on to become King William IV in 1830 and rule until 1837. The King lived in Clarence House because of its proximity to St James’s Palace, an antiquated Tudor building he found too cramped. On The Mall, next to St James’s Palace, you’ll find an aristocratic townhome, Clarence House. It’s the current residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla and a home that has housed many generations of the British royal family. At night, the king and queen often read side by side, surrounded by mementos of loved ones past and present. The palaces are for pomp and tourists, but Clarence House is a true home.

The Emperor and Empress of Japan to make State Visit to the UK

The Queen Mother was reportedly wary of Diana’s suitability for her beloved grandson and Diana was equally wary of her. That night Diana dined alone with her sister Jane Fellowes and had a severe bout of bulimia. Most importantly, he also chose to live at Clarence House but agreed to an underground passage between his home and St James for easy access to the grand palace.

John Baker

The Dining Room is enhanced with gilding and ceiling decoration from the early 1900s. The Garden Room was created from two rooms which Princess Margaret lived in before her marriage. The arrangement of the rooms and the groupings of their contents remain much as they were in Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s time, with important works from Her Majesty’s collection of art in their original positions. A tour of the House includes five rooms on the ground floor where official engagements are undertaken. After their marriage in 1947, it became the residence of Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1953, after the death of her father King George VI (d. 6 February 1952), Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II and moved to Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace garden

Although they have multiple homes in Great Britain, and Buckingham Palace is now their official residence, Clarence House is the real home base—Camilla even hosted Christmas festivities there in December 2022. A visit to Clarence House explores the five ground floor rooms, where official engagements are undertaken. Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London.

"I tried not to care. But especially the first time I saw it, I cared," he wrote. Harry also writes about introducing Meghan to his father at the estate; when they drove into Clarence House, he says, "the lush gardens...made Meg gasp." Combine the visit with afternoon tea at Claridge's, a longtime favorite of the queen, or a stay at Goring's Hotel, where Kate Middleton spent her last night as a single woman. In 1841, Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, settled into the royal residence; she'd call it home until passing away in the 1860s. A few years after that, Victoria's second son, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, moved in. Notably, he'd employ the firm Waller & Sons to reorient the building to the south, and have a Russian Orthodox chapel installed for his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna (the latter was dismantled following Maria's death).

Inside Clarence House, King Charles and Queen Camilla's London Home

Prince Harry Arrives at Clarence House Following King Charles' Cancer Diagnosis - Vanity Fair

Prince Harry Arrives at Clarence House Following King Charles' Cancer Diagnosis.

Posted: Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The aimsof The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion ofaccess and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities. In the Duke of Clarence's time the Lancaster Room, the first room off the Hall, was the Equerry's Room and has served as a waiting room for visitors ever since. The Morning Room was originally designed as the breakfast room. The large window into the garden was added by the Duchess of Kent around 1841. The Library was used by The Queen Mother for intimate dinners when she lived in the house.

In 1866, another sailor-prince, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and the second son of Queen Victoria, moved into Clarence House. He and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, would haphazardly expand and build onto Clarence House. After Edinburgh’s death in 1900, his younger brother Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, moved in and stayed until his death in 1942. The house fell into disrepair with no central heat, primarily fitted with gas fixtures, and with no modern bathrooms.

The double cancer blow to Kate and King Charles leaves Britain’s royal family depleted and strained

If you've ever wondered what it really looks like inside, we've gathered a selection of pictures to give you a peek. From the opulent Morning Room, where the royal couple often host dignitaries, to the Garden room, filled with ornate paintings, take a look inside the much-loved family house. Clarence House was formerly the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002 and was also the home of The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and The Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage in 1947. Today, it's the official London residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and has undergone extensive alternations throughout history, reflecting the varying tastes of its numerous occupants. His majesty is fully aware of the inconvenience and unfitness of our present apartments here. They were arranged for me in 1809 when I was a bachelor…since when (now 15 years) nothing has been done to them; and you well know the dirt and unfitness for the Duchess of our present abode.

Prince Harry arrives in London after his father, King Charles III, is diagnosed with cancer

On July 29, 1981, Clarence House was a beehive of activity as Diana was dressed and made-up as courtiers fluttered in and out. Her proud father, Earl Spencer, walked her down the stairs and said, “Darling, I’m so proud of you.” Out they went to the carriage, Diana bravely meeting her destiny. During World War II, Clarence House became a hub for the British Red Cross. But in 1947, it was again drafted into royal service when it was announced that Clarence House would become the official home of newlyweds Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

For safety and security reasons, a one-way system operates along the visitor route. All visits to Clarence House are by guided tour with a Warden, lasting 45 minutes. Alongside antique Chinese vases, busts of famous historical figures and paintings of Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII, “there are nods to Charles and Camilla as the current inhabitants”, says the Daily Mail. Prince William lived at Clarence House until his marriage in 2011, and Prince Harry until 2012. The Duke of Clarence, who in 1830 became King William IV, commissioned the building and preferred to live there, rather than the nearby St James's Palace, because he found the latter too cramped.

The closest available facilities are in St James’s Park (run by Royal Parks), opposite the visitor entrance to Clarence House. As Clarence House is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice. It is the home to Charles and Camilla and also provides office accommodation for the Prince of Wales's household, who support their Royal Highnesses in their official engagements. Artistic highlights include a Chippendale armchair, 18th-century Chinese porcelain and artwork by British painters including Graham Sutherland, W.S. Sickert and Augustus John. Since the 1940s alone, the grand stucco townhouse on The Mall has been the home of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother and princes William and Harry.

The first right off the entrance hall leads to The Lancaster Room. It is used as a waiting room for visitors to the house, and is home to eight watercolours of Windsor Castle, painted by John Piper during the early 1940s. During their lifetimes, Knights and Ladies of the Garter are entitled to display their Garter Banners in St George's Chapel, Windsor - the spiritual home of The Order. On their death, these banners are often returned to the Knight's family. The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity.