His Majesty King Charles III recently revealed that he and his wife Queen Camilla will not ever move into Buckingham Palace, choosing to stay at Clarence House for the rest of his days. Could this be one of the reasons why the London palace isn't very appealing to live in?
Interior Designer and presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has launched a critique on the 775-room palace, branding it "smelly" and "sticky".
He candidly told Heat Magazine: "I was at Buckingham Palace recently and it looks like Fawlty Towers. Once a grand, lovely space, it now has a feeling of a shuffly old golf hotel, which smells of cabbage and sticky carpets."
© SOPA Images/LightRocket via GettFawlty Towers is the famous British television sitcom centred around a dilapidated seaside hotel.
This comment comes after a 10-year renovation project, which has cost a whopping £369 million. However, rather than aesthetics, the focus has been on infrastructure, ensuring the plumbing and electrical systems are safe and up to date.
Queen Elizabeth II's dislike for Buckingham Palace
© Photo: Getty ImagesIt transpires that the late Queen Elizabeth II never really wanted to reside at the palace either. As reported by royal biographer Penny Junor in her book The Firm, the Queen wanted to remain living at Clarence House after her father's death, but it was, in fact, Sir Winston Churchill who strongly encouraged the move to Buckingham Palace.
It reads: "None of them wanted to go. They loved Clarence House; it was a family home, but Winston Churchill, who was then Prime Minister, insisted upon it."
Being so large, it is hard to maintain the palace, working with elements that will be hundreds of years old.
Laurence is a long-standing expert in his field of interior design so his opinion is often highly regarded. His own home is beautifully decorated with his own bold wallpaper and eccentric accessories. He lives with his wife and eight other family members and their huge home has a decadent dining room and grand drawing room.
© Steve Thorp PhotographyRoyal opinions
Laurence also hosts the True Royalty podcast, where he shares his strong opinions about the monarchy and dissects their decisions. Recently, he explained that he believes William has "spun the monarchy on its head" because of his opinion that family comes first. Laurence believes his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, would have singled out her priority as being duty to her country.
Laurence has compared himself to King Charles, considering they are both grandfathers. "I'm sure it's a source of great sadness that he doesn't have easy access to Harry and his grandchildren."As a grandfather myself, it would break my heart not to see my silly, foolish, flighty grandchildren every day," he said.
