Clarence Houseis aroyal residenceonThe Mallin theCity of Westminster,London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent toSt James's Palace,for the royalDuke of Clarence,the future KingWilliam IV.
| Clarence House | |
|---|---|
 April 2006 image | |
  Location within City of Westminster | |
| General information | |
| Type | British royal residence |
| Architectural style | Regency |
| Address | The Mall |
| Town or city | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′14″N0°08′19″W/ 51.5040°N 0.1385°W |
| Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Named for | William, Duke of Clarence |
| Construction started | 1825 |
| Completed | 1827 |
| Owner | KingCharles IIIin right ofthe Crown |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | John Nash |
| Website | |
| www | |
The four-storey house is faced in palerender.Over the years, it has undergone much extensive remodelling and reconstruction, most notably after being heavily damaged in theSecond World Warby enemy bombing duringThe Blitz.Little remains of the original structure designed byJohn Nash.It isGrade I listedon theNational Heritage List for England.[1]The house is open to visitors for about one month each summer, usually in August.
Clarence House serves as the London residence of KingCharles IIIandQueen Camilla.[2]It has been Charles's residence since 2003. From 1953 until 2002 it was home toQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,[3]and before her, it was the official home of her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, the future QueenElizabeth II.
History
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The house was built between 1825 and 1827 to a design by John Nash. It was commissioned by the Duke of Clarence, who in 1830 became King William IV of the United Kingdom (reigned 1830–1837). He moved there in preference to the adjoiningSt James's Palace,an antiquatedTudorbuilding which he found too cramped.[3][4] When he became king, he remained at Clarence House, in preference toBuckingham Palace,and had John Nash create a direct passageway into the State Apartments of St James's Palace, where he could conduct royal business.[5]Built on palace grounds, Clarence House faces greenspace andThe Malland is next to Stable Yard road, across which liesLancaster House.
From William IV, the house passed to his sisterPrincess Augusta Sophia,and, following her death in 1840, toQueen Victoria's mother,Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld,Duchess of Kent.[6]In 1866 it became the London home of Queen Victoria's second sonAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha(alsoDuke of Edinburgh), until his death in 1900.[7]
Alfred's younger brotherPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn,Queen Victoria's third son, used the house from 1900 until his death in 1942. During his tenure, for a brief period in the 1930s, it was the location of the library of theSchool of Oriental and African Studies,until all universities in London were evacuated in 1939[8]and the school temporarily relocated toCambridge.[9]
DuringWorld War II,Clarence House suffered damage by enemy bombing duringThe Blitz(1940–1941). Following the death of the Duke of Connaught in 1942, it was used by theRed Crossand theSt John AmbulanceBrigade as their headquarters during the rest of World War II.
After their marriage in 1947, it became the residence ofPrincess Elizabethand her husband,Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.Their daughter,Princess Anne,was born there in August 1950. In 1953, after the death of her father KingGeorge VI(d. 6 February 1952), Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II and moved to Buckingham Palace. Her mother,Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,and sisterPrincess Margaretmoved into Clarence House.
Princess Margaret later moved into an apartment inKensington Palacefollowing her marriage in 1960,[7][10]whilst the Queen Mother remained in residence at Clarence House until her death in March 2002. Charles, at that time Prince of Wales, took up residence in 2003. Clarence House was also the official residence ofPrince Williamfrom 2003 until April 2011, and ofPrince Harryfrom 2003 until March 2012.[11]
Currently, Clarence House is the London residence of KingCharles IIIand his wife,Queen Camilla.They intend to continue to use Clarence House as their London home until at least 2027 during renovations toBuckingham Palace.Buckingham Palace will remain the administrative headquarters for the monarchy and the location of state events during this time.[12]
Tenants of Clarence House[13][14]
- King William IV and Queen Adelaide (1827–1837)
- The Duchess of Kent and Strathearn (1841–1861)
- Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh andMaria, Duchess of Edinburgh(1866–1900)
- Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn andPrincess Louise, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn(1901–1942)
- Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1947–1952)
- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1953–2002)
- Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1953–1960)
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla (2003–present)[15]
- Prince William of Wales (2003–2011)
- Prince Harry of Wales (2003–2012)
References
edit- ^Historic England,"Clarence House (1236580)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved17 January2017
- ^"King Charles' grand rooms at Clarence House which remain out of bounds".HELLO!.19 October 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2022.Retrieved25 October2022.
- ^ab"Who lived in Clarence House?".royalcollection.org.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2015.Retrieved1 October2022.
- ^Hibbert, Christopher; Weinreb, Ben; Keay, John; Keay, Julia (9 September 2011).The London Encyclopaedia(3rd ed.). Pan Macmillan.ISBN978-0-230-73878-2.
- ^"Who lived in Clarence House?".www.rct.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2015.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^Walford, Edward."St James's Palace Pages 100–122 Old and New London: Volume 4. Originally published by Cassell, Petter & Galpin, London, 1878".British History Online.Archivedfrom the original on 22 July 2015.Retrieved13 July2020.
- ^ab"History of Clarence House".royal.gov.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2014.Retrieved19 June2015.
- ^University of London: An Illustrated History: 1836–1986 By N. B. p. 255
- ^Nature, 1939, Vol. 144(3659), pp. 1006–1007
- ^Tori V. Martínez."Palaces on the Periphery: Marlborough House and Clarence House".Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2008.Retrieved19 June2015.
- ^"Prince Harry moves into Kensington Palace".CBS News.Archivedfrom the original on 28 March 2012.Retrieved18 June2013.
- ^"'Not Fit' For His Reign: King Charles III Refuses To Relocate To Buckingham Palace With Queen Camilla ".www.msn.com.Archived from the original on 27 October 2022.Retrieved15 December2023.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^"Who lived in Clarence House?".www.rct.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2015.Retrieved24 August2023.
- ^"Where will King Charles III and Queen Camilla live?".House Beautiful.6 May 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2023.Retrieved6 October2023.
- ^"Inside Clarence House: King Charles and Camilla's official London residence".House & Garden.15 September 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2023.Retrieved6 October2023.
External links
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- Clarence Houseat the Royal Family website
- Clarence House,atThe Royal Collection– Visitor Information
- Clarence House,Official website of thePrince of Wales