Prince Charles Has Decided To Completely Abandon His Plans Of Building A New House

For many, a home renovation even at its most minimal can seem like a daunting task. But when it comes to the British royal family, an already-outsize project can come with additional quandaries. According to Harper's Bazaar, the number of residences both state-funded and personally owned collectively by the Windsors totals somewhere over 20, including Buckingham Palace, which became the official sovereign headquarters in 1837. 

Many of these properties date centuries back, with the initial construction of Windsor Castle nearly dated as old as the inception of the British monarchy itself. So it's no surprise that their upkeep and updates for modern living can be difficult, to say the least. And according to an October 8 report published by the Daily Mail, it appears a years-long project on one such homestead launched by Prince Charles has ultimately become too much of a task to complete.

Per the tabloid, Prince Charles has finally abandoned a project spent almost two decades in the making, developed on a 900-acre estate. Located in the Herefordshire area of England, the design, which included a complete rebuild of a manse at the royal family's Harewood End and extensive restorations of other buildings on the grounds, would have taken approximately £9 million to finish before Charles' moratorium. So, why did Charles call it quits after investing his money and time in the renovation? 

According to the Daily Mail, Prince Charles' decision to ultimately abandon his Harewood End project came after a confluence of unfortunate circumstances, many of which were brought on by timing. Though Charles undertook the project in the spirit of history-oriented symbolism, the estate as a whole was meant to eventually be gifted to Prince William and Kate Middleton. 

Per the Daily Mail, the new mansion Charles planned to rebuild was meant to be a 21st-century update to the previous structure, which had been demolished in the 1950s, with other decorative edifices and facilities, including a "triumphal arch" meant as a proud declaration of its completion.

Unfortunately, delays cropped up throughout the course of the project, including a design scale-down of the homestead itself. Thrown into the mix was William's brief separation from Kate in 2007, which could have potentially precluded the necessity of the project in the first place, the Daily Mail noted. And there was Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gift to the couple in 2011: Anmer Hall, which is where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge currently live with their children. The last straw appeared to be the retirement of David Curtis, who served as the head of the rebuild, in 2020, as the Daily Mail noted.