4 AUGUST 2003
Prince Charles is moving into his new London home, Clarence House, today. The Prince of Wales and his two sons, William and Harry, take up residence now that £4.5 million worth of refurbishment work has been completed.

The building was the late Queen Mother's home until her death in 2002, and Charles and the boys are moving in on the anniversary of her birthday.

"The Prince is very pleased with it," said a spokesman. "It has kept the Queen Mother's ambience, which he very much wanted to achieve. It's a wonderful place where he will entertain senior statespeople from abroad and people from his charities."

Clarence House had not been painted for 50 years and was in need of major renovation work before Charles and the boys could live there. Asbestos has been removed, and the plumbing and wiring systems have been replaced. Prince Charles invested £1.6 million of his own money to provide for new furniture and the decoration of two rooms for his companion Camilla Parker Bowles.

William and Harry, meanwhile, picked out modern decor for their rooms at the luxurious residence, which is located just off The Mall.