King Charles' royal residence, Buckingham Palace, is full of fascinating secrets like the hidden door in the White Drawing Room that leads to the state apartments and the underground tunnels that provide an incognito exit route. But did you know that the back garden at the palace holds an impressive secret too?
Hidden underneath the grass, there's a special helicopter mat to allow the monarch's private helicopter to be able to land on the ground. While usually helipads are concrete structures to provide a stable base for landing, it was believed that the royal family thought this would be too unsightly for the garden, and this unique solution was sought instead.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe royals often travel via helicopter for a variety of different reasons including privacy and accessibility. His Majesty has a fleet of helicopters based at RAF Odiham. A total of 170 flights were made by royal family members between 2023-2024.
Where does King Charles live?
© Getty ImagesDespite Buckingham Palace having these amazing features, it's still not home for His Majesty. Instead, he currently resides at Clarence House in London with his wife Queen Camilla, and that is where the monarch will stay for the next couple of years.
King Charles' future move plans were revealed in the palace's annual Sovereign Grant report, which explained that reservicing works have delayed the monarch’s relocation.
© GC ImagesIt explained that the couple will not be moving in until works on their private apartments are completed. The apartments are situated in the Palace's North Wing, which is not due to be finished until the end of the mammoth ten-year renovation process. The huge project commenced under Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, but Charles is now ensuring the smooth running of proceedings.
Help at the palace
In an admirable move, Charles' team at the place have enlisted the help of apprentices to work on the renovations.
On National Apprenticeship Week, the team shared a video showing some of the employees hard at work and the captions explained that the roles are everything from carpenters to engineers. It also revealed that the renovations are happening to protect the building from things like "fire and flood".
Fans were keen to share their praise for the King's scheme and the comments section included one follower writing: "Very noble, keep up the good work," and another adding: "Such an amazing opportunity!!!" A third remarked: "Very cool! That would be a wonderful point on a resume. Resurfaced Buckingham."
