Rooms at the top

WiTH king Charles and Queen Consort Camilla moving to Buckingham Palace, will Clarence House remain in the Royal Family? it was designed by John nash and completed in 1827 for the future William iv, when he was Duke of Clarence.

it would be logical for the newly titled Prince and Princess of Wales to take up residence at Clarence House, vacating their current london residence, apartment 1a at kensington Palace. However, the assumption that everyone in the Royal Family moves up a notch doesn’t apply because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working royals and live in the U.S.

it seems unlikely that king Charles would agree to less senior members of the Royal Family, such as Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie or the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, taking over Clarence House or apartment 1a.

The possibilities are intriguing, if not controversial. Will the Prince and Princess of Wales stay put and Clarence House be put to another use? There is a precedent because nearby Marlborough House, occupied by the widowed Queen Mary until her death in 1953, became the Commonwealth Secretariat in 1965.

it appears that the downsizing of the Royal Family could leave those who remain spoiled for choice about where to live.

JOHN RUTHERFORD, Sevenoaks, Kent.