King Charles III currently lives at Clarence House in London while Buckingham Palace is still undergoing renovation works. While the monarch is rarely seen there, there has been a frequent visitor of a furry kind!
On Sunday, a fox was spotted running around the palace grounds in front of the royal guards and the moment was caught on camera. When it was shared by account @about.ldn, the comments came in thick and fast. "Fox News at Buckingham Palace!" one fan joked, and: "Have seen so many foxes the last two weeks," another pointed out. A third simply wrote: "How adorable."
Urban foxes were celebrated by Sir David Attenborough in his recent BBC programme, Wild London. The presenter and animal lover had a close encounter with a family of them in Tottenham. "Even though there are more wild foxes in London than almost any other big city, it's still a huge thrill to see one suddenly emerging from the bushes," he said.
As well as foxes, Buckingham Palace has experienced mice and rats. In 2001 and then again in 2019, the staff were alerted to an invasion of some not-so-welcome visitors. These pests are fairly common in and around buildings of that age.
Buckingham Palace changes
When King Charles took over from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he inherited a major project totaling £369 million. The 775-room palace is being futureproofed with changes to the electrics, plumbing and general infrastructure.
The monarch has enlisted the help of a team of apprentices for the renovations, providing a unique experience for young people. The roles are everything from carpenters to engineers. It also revealed that the renovations are happening to protect the building from "fire and flood".
Fans were keen to share their praise for the King's scheme and the comments section included followers writing: "Very noble, keep up the good work," and: "Very cool! That would be a wonderful point on a resume. Resurfaced Buckingham."
It has been said that King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will move into the palace when their bedrooms are ready. However, it will no doubt be hard for Charles to depart his beloved Clarence House home. Over the years, I've written about this special property multiple times and Charles' love for it is clear – it was handed down to him from his late grandmother, the Queen Mother, who cherished it. The royal has spoken about his childhood memories within the walls, like playing with the grandfather clocks.