King Charles looks forward to 2026 with exciting news from Buckingham Palace

The new year is on the horizon and His Majesty King Charles III has received the good news that he will have reduced cancer treatment in 2026 which is a big positive. And there is another piece of good news in the royal camp – tickets for Buckingham Palace’s iconic East Wing have now gone on sale!

The extensive reservicing works at the iconic royal residence are a 10-year project, due to be completed in 2027. Luckily for visitors, the East Wing is one of the areas where renovations are already finished. The tours of this area have been selling well each year since the 2024 reopening. On Tuesday, 2026 tickets went on sale via the Royal Collection Trust and the limited number is expected to sell out. The 90-minute tours are priced at £100 per person and include a guided look in a 20-person group through the incredible principal rooms. Dates run from 9 January – 30 March.

The East Wing is particularly noteworthy as it is directly behind the famous facade of the palace, and the Chinese-themed rooms contain an array of fascinating artworks and unique pieces of furniture. Members of the public will be able to enter the prestigious Centre Room which leads onto the iconic balcony that has been pictured for special occasions like Prince William and Princess Kate’s royal wedding and King Charles III’s landmark coronation.

King Charles praised over Buckingham Palace project

King Charles made headlines with the big overhaul as he chose to employ a team of apprentices to help with the mammoth task. A social media post about the initiative, shared by Buckingham Palace, read: This National Apprenticeship Week, meet some of the apprentices working on the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme helping to safeguard heritage related skills and to protect the Palace for future generations.

The monarch was applauded for the scheme, with one follower writing: “Very noble, keep up the good work,” and another adding: “Such an amazing opportunity!!!” A third remarked: “Very cool! That would be a wonderful point on a resume. Resurfaced Buckingham.”

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Will King Charles move into Buckingham Palace?

The renovations began under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth II, and now her son is overseeing the conclusion of the project. Upon completion, King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will then move into the palace. At present, His Majesty resides at Clarence House when he’s in London. 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, and now he gets to live there.

Prince William, however, has made it clear that he has no desire to move to the big palace when he ascends to the throne one day, preferring a more normal life at his new Windsor property, Forest Lodge. William moved in last month and he currently lives there with his wife Princess Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. This is a clear step away from the monarchy as we know it – William wants to do things his own way when it is time.