Aung San Suu Kyi. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

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.

The 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 criticism

The 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 cheer as Kings and Queens announce the end of wars, celebrate their marriages and mark historic events, such as Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne. It also provides the backdrop for parades down the broad ceremonial avenue known as The Mall.

Buckingham Palace needed some love

But after all the wear and tear, the palace was starting to show its age. In 2017, the royal household began a 10-year programme to update obsolete plumbing, wiring and heating and upgrade the building so it could continue to house the monarchy for another 50 years. The project is scheduled to be completed next year.

But now the King and Queen have decided to live at Clarence House, a stately home close to the palace where Charles has lived since he was Prince of Wales.

That decision will allow the palace to increase access public access, hosting more events and expanding the number of visitors and tours of the building, Chalmers said. The palace already receives about 7,00,000 visitors a year.

Royal watchers are waiting for more details about plans for the palace. Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself,” said it would be a shame if, for example, the building lies vacant for much of the year.

“I’m hoping for a second act in terms of this decision,” he told The Associated Press. “I’m waiting to see whether there will be a sort of a more radical proposal for what Buckingham Palace might be in the future.”

The palace recognises it needs more transparency

The other big news of the day was the announcement on royal taxes.

While Charles released the details of his personal taxes when he was Prince of Wales, this is the first time he has done so since ascending the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022.

While monarchy receives funding from a number of sources, the King pays taxes only on his personal income, much of which comes from his privately owned estates, Balmoral in Scotland and Sandringham on the east coast of England. Charles also paid capital gains taxes related to the sale of assets.

Prince William, the current Prince of Wales, also released his tax details on Thursday (June 25, 2026). William paid £7.76 million in income and capital gains taxes in the 2024-25 tax year, down from £8.34 million the previous year, his office said.

The figures for the first time give the public a concrete idea about the King’s personal wealth, as opposed to the castles, jewels and artwork that go with the job but are not the monarch’s personal property.

Charles did not have to do this. The King’s tax affairs, like those of any citizen, are strictly confidential. But he decided to give up that right to privacy as the monarchy tries to put as much distance as possible between itself and Mountbatten-Windsor.

It also underscores the idea that the monarchy is a public institution and its workings should be public, said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

“If they’re open and as transparent as possible, then the contrast with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor becomes all the greater,” he said.

Published – June 26, 2026 05:16 am IST

Britain’s King Charles III speaks to a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday (April 28, 2026), in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP

Britain’s Prince Andrew speaks with King Charles.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A file image of King Charles III. Photo: Pool via REUTERS

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have extended their warm season greeting on Instagram amid the monarch’s health struggles.

In the Christmas card shared on Instagram, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are smiling for the camera. The message on the card read, “Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and New Year.” The photo was clicked in April. 

The note shared along with the card read, “Christmas is coming…Their Majesties are pleased to share this year’s Christmas card, taken by Millie Pilkington in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace in April 2024.”

This Christmas wish comes nearly nine months after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer during a “routine hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement.” Following the announcement, the monarch briefly stepped back from public engagements to undergo treatment. At the time, Buckingham Palace stated that the King remained optimistic about his treatment and was eager to return to his royal duties as soon as he was able to do so.

By April 2024, King Charles was able to resume his royal commitments, beginning with a visit to a cancer treatment centre to meet with patients and medical staff. In June 2024, the King and Queen hosted a State Visit for the Emperor and Empress of Japan, marking an important diplomatic event.

Buckingham Palace also expressed gratitude in a statement, saying, “Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.”

Charles’ health battle was also part of a difficult year for the royal family, which included Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis. Following her abdominal surgery in January 2024, the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed her diagnosis in March. Kate took time away from public events for treatment but gradually resumed her duties, making a public appearance at the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2024. By September, she announced that her chemotherapy was complete and she had finished her treatment.

Charles and Camilla took the monarchy in May 2023 after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022.

London:

King Charles III made his first comments on Friday about riots that have shaken British cities, praising the work of police in countering the violence.

While the monarch and Queen Camilla conveyed their condolences to the families of three girls killed in a mass stabbing on July 29, Buckingham Palace had not commented on the near-daily riots which followed.

The king praised British police and emergency services “for all they are doing to restore peace in those areas that have been affected by violent disorder”, according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.

He hoped the “shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation”, the spokesperson added.

Many observers had been watching to see if the king, who is on his annual summer holiday in Scotland, would end his noticeable silence on the disturbances.

Hundreds of people have been arrested in the near-nightly unrest that hit cities across England and in Northern Ireland and which authorities have blamed on far-right agitators.

Officials say the rioters took advantage of the killings of the girls in the northwestern English coastal town of Southport to launch racist and Islamophobic protests. The suspect accused of the killings was born in Britain.

Traditionally, the monarch does not comment on anything that could cause political controversy.

But in calls with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and police chiefs, the king said he had been “greatly encouraged” by the reaction “that countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many”.

While extra police have been put on standby, there have been many counter-demonstrations in cities where far-right protests had been planned.

 ‘Perilous moment’ 

His call for unity followed a silence that had concerned some royal watchers.

“I am surprised that the king as head of state hasn’t come out more forcefully, given that it’s a perilous moment for the United Kingdom,” historian and royal commentator Ed Owens said before the statement’s release.

According to constitutional law expert Craig Prescott, however, “the monarchy does not comment on current political events”. The late Queen Elizabeth II remained similarly quiet during the last wave of riots which shook England in 2011.

“Once the riots have subsided, you might expect members of the royal family to visit places affected and perhaps to see them more in multicultural settings,” Prescott said in a post on the X social media platform.

“If the king speaks out about this, then what about the next big issue and the one after that.”

Owens argued that Charles, who has gradually resumed public duties after a cancer diagnosis earlier this year, may not have publicly reacted for two main reasons.

He may have been “advised by his government that it would be unwise at this stage” to intervene directly.

And the monarch might himself have deemed the issue too “combustible”. The question of “illegal migration” is politically divisive and sensitive in Britain, said Owens.

But as heir to the throne, Charles made known his opposition to the previous government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

And the king has been more vocal about topics such as climate change over the years. Since becoming the monarch he is seen as having presented himself as more accessible than his predecessors, including by opening up about his health.

But for Graham Smith, head of Republic, a pressure group which campaigns for an elected UK head of state to replace the monarch, the lack of a response to the riots showed that the monarchy is an institution “for someone who isn’t able to speak really”.

According to media reports, quoting palace sources, the king has asked for a daily update on the crisis.

But Smith said: “There’s no value in a billionaire sitting in his holiday home being updated about what’s happening. I mean, it’s easy to be updated — switch the TV on.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Princess Anne, the sister of British head of state King Charles III, returned to public duties Friday, weeks after she was treated in hospital after being struck by a horse.

Anne, 73, presented awards and met winners at a charity horseriding event in Gloucestershire, southwestern England, in a reported phased return to public appearances.

The Princess Royal, as she is also known, suffered concussion and minor head injuries at her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire in late June and spent five nights in hospital in Bristol.

She has since been recovering at her home on the sprawling estate and following standard concussion protocols.

It is believed she was struck by a horse as she was walking within the protected perimeter of its grounds, which hosts equestrian events.

The princess’s medical team said at the time her injuries were consistent with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.

She is a skilled horsewoman who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and is the mother of British rider Zara Tindall, who won eventing team silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

Anne has stepped in to represent Charles while he postponed public engagements during his cancer treatment, and rode at his official birthday parade last month.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrive in Britain on Saturday ahead of a three-day state visit hosted by King Charles III.

The royal couple are due to touch down on a flight from Japan and spend Sunday and Monday at private engagements before the official programme begins on Tuesday.

The highlight will be a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, with all eyes on a possible appearance by the heir to the throne Prince William’s wife Catherine, rarely seen in recent months due to cancer treatment.

Naruhito, 64, will also go to Windsor Castle west of London to lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, whose state funeral he and the empress, 60, attended in September 2022.

With Britain in the midst of a general election campaign, it was not immediately clear if there would be any meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Visiting heads of state have typically held talks with the premier and opposition leader, or addressed lawmakers in parliament.

But there are no MPs as parliament has been dissolved before the July 4 vote.

The trip will be the emperor’s second official state visit since his accession to the throne in 2019, following a visit to Indonesia last year.

For Charles, 75, it will be the third state visit he has hosted since he ascended to the throne following the death of his mother.

 ‘Fond memories’ 

Like Catherine, he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year but has made a limited return to public duties, and was seen this week with his wife Queen Camilla at the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting.

Catherine, a future queen who is widely known as Kate, is currently undergoing chemotherapy and has stepped back from public life to aid her recovery.

She made a tentative return to public life last week when she attended a military parade in London to mark Charles’ official birthday.

Elizabeth, whose 70-year reign began in 1952, hosted two Japanese state visits during her time on the throne: Emperor Hirohito in 1971 and his eldest son Emperor Akihito — Naruhito’s father — in 1998.

Speaking in Tokyo ahead of the trip, Naruhito said Britain’s royals treated him “like family” during his time studying in England in the 1980s.

Naruhito recalled that during his two years at Oxford University, he was invited to Balmoral Castle in Scotland for a few days.

“I have very fond memories of the queen driving a car and inviting me to a barbecue… and Prince Philip showing me around by driving a carriage himself,” he told reporters in a rare press conference.

The state visit’s programme will also include a Guard of Honour ceremony, a carriage procession at Buckingham Palace, and visits to museums and the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre in London.

Before leaving on Friday the Japanese emperor and empress will visit Oxford, where they both studied, for private engagements.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

 An 18-year-old rickshaw driver from a village in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh is overjoyed on meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after she collected a prestigious women’s empowerment award in London this week.

Arti received the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award, named after the world-renowned human rights barrister, at the Prince’s Trust Awards in London followed by a meeting with the 75-year-old monarch on Wednesday.

She was honoured for inspiring other young girls through her work with the government’s Pink E-rickshaw initiative, which provides safe transport for other women with a mission to drive change, quite literally.

“I take pride in being able to inspire other girls who face similar challenges. This newfound independence has allowed me to see the world in a different light. Now, I am able to fulfil not only my dreams but also those of my daughter,” said Arti, who has a five-year-old daughter for whom she has bought some cake and a pair of shoes on her very first visit to London.

“It has been an unbelievably amazing experience, meeting the King who was so nice and sent his namaste to my family back home too. He also listened carefully as I spoke about how much I love driving my e-rickshaw, which does not run on polluting diesel or petrol but one that I charge at home every night,” she shared, speaking in Hindi.

Founded by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, the Prince’s Trust International will now transform into the King’s Trust International as it continues its work supporting young people across 20 countries through employment, education and enterprise programmes. The Prince’s Trust women’s empowerment award recognises the global work of young women who have succeeded against the odds and made a lasting difference to those around them.

“This year’s winner, Arti, is an inspirational example of someone whose trailblazing work in a typically male arena makes women in her community safer. Arti is determined to create a world where her daughter will not face the obstacles that she has faced, and she is already making a difference through her example,” said Amal Clooney, the British activist-barrister after whom the award is named.

For the reception at Buckingham Palace, Arti arrived in a pink rickshaw – showcasing it not only as a sustainable mode of transport but also an idea and a movement.

In July 2023, Project Lehar, delivered in partnership with Prince’s Trust International and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), introduced Arti to the Indian government’s Pink E-Rickshaw scheme, an initiative aimed at empowering women and expanding their income earning opportunities across the country. Under the innovative scheme, pink e-rickshaws were provided by the Bahraich district administration with a subsidy for women drivers.

The scheme aims to increase employment opportunities for vulnerable women, especially widows and single mothers like Arti, while also improving women’s access to safe transport, thereby increasing their mobility and independence.

“Arti truly embodies the courage, perseverance and determination to succeed against all odds, emerging as a role model for women in her village. We are immensely grateful for our partnership with the Prince’s Trust International that has enabled us to support young women to realise their dreams and aspirations. Here’s to many more Arti’s – believe in yourself, and never let anything dim the light of your ambitions,” said Tinni Sawhney, CEO of AKF (India), who accompanied Arti to the award ceremony and also helped interpret for her.

Will Straw, CEO of the Prince’s Trust International, added: “I am so proud of Arti on winning this year’s women’s empowerment award. She is breaking societal barriers and setting an example through her strength and determination.

“Our work in India gives young people the opportunity to build valuable life skills and find meaningful work. Through Project Lehar and our partnerships with the Aga Khan Foundation, we will continue supporting young women to achieve their ambitions.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)