Fodor's Expert Review Clarence House
The London home of the Queen Mother for nearly 50 years until her death in 2002, Clarence House is now the residence of Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The Regency mansion was built in 1828 by John Nash for the Duke of Clarence (later to become William IV) who considered next-door St. James's Palace to be too cramped for his liking, although postwar renovation work means that little remains of Nash's original. Since then it has remained a royal home for princesses, dukes, and duchesses, including the present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, as a newlywed before her coronation.
The rooms have been sensitively preserved to reflect the Queen Mother's taste, with the addition of many works of art from the Royal Collection, including works by Winterhalter, Augustus John, and Sickert. Clarence House is usually open only for the month of August, and tickets must be booked in advance.
