'I've visited King Charles' Clarence House home – one thing sets it apart from palace'

'I've visited King Charles' Clarence House home – one thing sets it apart from palace' King Charles and Queen Camilla will not move into Buckingham Palace once the £369million refurbishment is complete and one royal expert believes it makes 'perfect sense' It was recently revealed that King Charles and Queen Camilla would remain living in Clarence House even after Buckingham Palace’s £369million refurbishment was complete — but the news didn’t surprise everyone. One royal observer has now claimed to know exactly why the couple are choosing to stay at their private London residence in what is a huge break from tradition. Hugo Vickers, a royal biographer, believes one thing sets Clarence House apart from the palace, and he wrote in the Sunday Times: “It is a home not an office.” He then explained that he has visited Clarence House on multiple occasions since Charles moved in back in 2003 before Camilla joined him two years later after they got married. And speaking about some of its standout features, Hugo wrote: “You get an impression of a house that was once the home of the Queen Mother and has been taken on by her grandson, taking little away but adding a few touches of his own. One of the finest rooms is the garden room with copies of her favourite biographies on the shelves.” He then compared Buckingham Palace to a “large Edwardian hotel” and that there is “a lot going on there which has nothing to do with home life”. The royal expert went as far as to describe the palace as "soulless" before opening up about the time he visited Prince Phillip’s sister there — which felt like going to a “deserted prep school”. The Queen Mother meanwhile lived in Clarence House from 1953 until she died in 2002. Hugo revealed that Charles has kept most of her pictures and that he always believed he would stay living there, especially considering it is a short car journey to Buckingham Palace. And summing up his thoughts, he wrote in the publication that they can use the palace for state banquets, garden parties and the traditional balcony appearances. He said Clarence House can therefore be used for more informal events before adding that remaining living there “makes perfect sense”. It also came as no surprise to former royal butler Grant Harrold who served Charles between 2004 and 2011. Speaking to Reach PLC, he claimed Charles confided his preference to him “years ago”, and added: “The King actually told me about his plans to keep Clarence House as his main residence years ago, long before he became monarch. “So the news isn't really a surprise, I think it's always been on the cards. I knew that this would be a call he would eventually make and announce publicly.” Buckingham Palace has been undergoing a significant 10-year resurfacing project and it is due to be completed next year. It is also understood that Prince William and Kate Middleton will remain in their “forever home” Forest Lodge in Windsor when the time comes for them to become King and Queen.