Clarence House
Clarence House
4.5
About
Clarence House is one of the last remaining aristocratic townhouses in London and is the official residence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: St. James's
Perennially fashionable since the days of Henry VIII, the aristocratic “Clubland” of St James's is a premier destination for high end craft and bespoke design. Here you’ll lose count of the Royal Warrants (which indicate that the Royal Family patronizes the establishment) seen in shop front windows, even during a short stroll to bordering Green Park or St James’s Park. With the brightly lit and constantly buzzing junction of Piccadilly Circus at its northeast corner and none of Central London too far away, this is an surprisingly central and accessible part of town, especially given its prosperous demeanor.
How to get there
- Green Park • 8 min walk
- Piccadilly Circus • 9 min walk
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4.5
226 reviews
Excellent
127
Very good
70
Average
20
Poor
6
Terrible
3
UKAdmiral
Portsmouth. UK140 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
I had always wanted to visit Clarence House, the former home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
I got the opportunity for a private visit and thoroughly enjoyed it. The house is modest by Royal standards but has all the trappings one would expect of royalty. It gives the impression of a comfortable but not ostentatious home and has that welcoming feel about it.
There is certainly an atmosphere of Royal splendour inside the house itself and one can imagine all the events that have happened there over the years. The gardens are immaculate and show the detail and imagination of His Majesty the King.
I got the opportunity for a private visit and thoroughly enjoyed it. The house is modest by Royal standards but has all the trappings one would expect of royalty. It gives the impression of a comfortable but not ostentatious home and has that welcoming feel about it.
There is certainly an atmosphere of Royal splendour inside the house itself and one can imagine all the events that have happened there over the years. The gardens are immaculate and show the detail and imagination of His Majesty the King.
Written 8 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fredbear
Suffolk, UK78 contributions
We went to Clarence House on Friday 8th September. We had been on our second trip to Buckingham Palace of the summer using our free unlimited return tickets, and decided as we were on the spot to go and have a look. We had pre booked tickets. I am a big fan of the Queen, but confess to not being a huge Charles & Camilla supporter. I was however pleasantly surprised. The security staff on the gate at Clarence House are brilliant, cheerful and friendly. There are security checks and bag x-rays but they are carried out with efficiency and good humour. Unlike Buckingham Palace they will allow you to leave partially consumed drinks at the gate and collect them as you leave. The tours of Clarence House are all guided and last about an hour. You see the garden and what appears to be most of the ground floor. The family live on the higher floors so obviously their privacy has to be respected. You see about six rooms and they are crammed with fascinating objects. Prince Charles has made Clarence House his own but has left one of the parlours much as his Grandmother had it. The tour guide we had was a charming gentleman, and extremely knowledgeable on his subject. He gives you the history of the rooms and tells you who contributed what to it, and how they developed according to who was in residence at the time. He also gave us ample opportunity to ask questions, and was very informative about the individual objects that we asked about. Clarence House appears to be an oasis of calm in the frenzy that is our capital city, it is hard to believe that The Mall is so close by when you are standing in the garden. It was quite something to see those famous black gates where the Queen Mother used to appear each year on her birthday. It is easy to see why The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales fell in love with the house, it actually feels like a home and that people actually live there. There is also a small shop selling quality souvenirs. You don't have to be a fan of The Duchess and The Prince that's for sure, it is not a Camilla fest I promise you. There are wedding photos about the place, but it is their home after all. Visit, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Written 14 September 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pinky96
Anglesea, Australia103 contributions
Aug 2011 • Friends
We visited Clarence House in August, 2011 after purchasing our tickets on line prior to leaving home and I would strongly recommend this method. The tours cater for approximately 18 visitors at a time and are run most efficiently at specified times. To step through the gates is to enter an idyllic and peaceful garden which seems far removed from the hustle and bustle of The Mall outside. One section of the garden houses a vast and most productive vegetable garden commissioned by Prince Charles and there is also another bed which features many of his Grandmother's favourite plants. Now the London home of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Clarence House, long the home of the late Queen Mother still has a great deal of her presence about it. The rooms that are open to the public are adorned with family photos and great art works and one favourite was the unfinished portait of the Queen Mother which has been positioned in the dining room by Prince Charles. Our most informative guide explained the history of that painting along with many other interesting facts about the various rooms and artefacts. There is also a gallery containing paintings of many of the Queen Mother's racehorses. As you leave through the front entrance a glance to the right and you can visualise the Queen Mother standing outside the magnificent black gates on her birthdays. You don't need to be a fan of the royal family to enjoy this wonderful tour although to us as admirers it was very special. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone planning a trip to London.
Written 14 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HINA W
Islamabad, Pakistan7,358 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
We saw this house on the Mall. This is the Queen Mother’s house. The royal guards protect this too. Prince Charles and lady Camila used to reside here before he became the Monarch. It is a beautiful white four-storey house building standing on the Mall. It was designed by John Nash in 1827. It was commissioned by King George III’s third son, the Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV. One of longest residents here has been Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She lived in the Clarence House for almost five decades.
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gaylew559
Toronto, Canada100 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
I loved my visit at Clarence House. I visited all the castles including Windsor, Buckingham Palace & Hampton Court but Clarence House was the most enjoyable. I really felt connected to the Royal Family during this tour as the tour guide had so many interesting stories about the Queen Mother, Prince Charles - how Camilla invites children in to decorate the tree....so many interesting things. I've always admired Prince Charles for his hard work. I purchased Strawberry Jam from the Gift Shop and no kidding....its the best tasting Strawberry Jam I have ever tasted. What a beautiful home. I really enjoyed seeing the personal photographs & seeing a painting by Prince Charles was a very nice touch to the tour. I believe Clarence House is only open in August but check that out yourself in case I am mistaken.
Written 26 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EStrught
London, UK53 contributions
Aug 2016 • Friends
Yes, this tour only covers five ground-floor reception rooms (plus two splendid corridors), but that's quite enough when each one is so full of interesting objets, furniture, paintings and photographs. The small group and gentle pace allowed plenty of time to look around, and appreciate the details: modern bronzes, Chelsea porcelain, ormolu clocks, European snuff boxes and oriental snuff bottles, portraits galore (of the present family, distant relations and ancestors, horses and dogs in about equal measure). Splendid bookcases are stuffed with first editions from popular authors (Dick Francis and P.G. Wodehouse, inter alia), but the art is refreshingly eclectic: a honking great Winterhalter, a couple of cheeky little Sickerts, John Piper's views of Windsor (still in the austere frames of 1941), and of course a few by talented amateurs such as Noël Coward and Prince Charles.
The amiable guide pointed out curiosities that we wouldn't have spotted for ourselves, with stories to match (the miniature solid silver Aston Martin, the cushion stitched by the late Queen Mother and her ladies, the fireplace that began its working life in Dublin). The history of the house is woven lightly into the narrative, as much to explain architectural alterations as past residents. Although the guides are knowledgeable, there isn't much time for questions, so anyone with a deep interest in William and Adelaide, the Duchess of Kent or Maria Alexandrovna had best swot up beforehand.
Keen fans of the royal family will swoon at every turn (the very sofa where William and Kate gave their ITN engagement interview! winsome snaps of Prince George 'taken upstairs' by his doting family!), but there is much to engage anyone with an interest in art, design or social history.
Even if few of us have to worry about the dogs' frolicking on the Chippendale sofa, it is also remarkably easy to appreciate Clarence House as an attractive family home, full of souvenirs and keepsakes, and affectionate memories. As an expression of wealth, taste and comfort, it certainly compares well to the excesses of pop stars, footballers and oligarchs, in scale and discretion.
The amiable guide pointed out curiosities that we wouldn't have spotted for ourselves, with stories to match (the miniature solid silver Aston Martin, the cushion stitched by the late Queen Mother and her ladies, the fireplace that began its working life in Dublin). The history of the house is woven lightly into the narrative, as much to explain architectural alterations as past residents. Although the guides are knowledgeable, there isn't much time for questions, so anyone with a deep interest in William and Adelaide, the Duchess of Kent or Maria Alexandrovna had best swot up beforehand.
Keen fans of the royal family will swoon at every turn (the very sofa where William and Kate gave their ITN engagement interview! winsome snaps of Prince George 'taken upstairs' by his doting family!), but there is much to engage anyone with an interest in art, design or social history.
Even if few of us have to worry about the dogs' frolicking on the Chippendale sofa, it is also remarkably easy to appreciate Clarence House as an attractive family home, full of souvenirs and keepsakes, and affectionate memories. As an expression of wealth, taste and comfort, it certainly compares well to the excesses of pop stars, footballers and oligarchs, in scale and discretion.
Written 26 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cristina_Bianca
London, UK84 contributions
Aug 2011 • Solo
I am a guide myself and I found the visit extremely enjoyable thanks to the courteous and knowledgeable guide we had. The tour of 5 ground-floor rooms lasted about 45 minutes and then we were left free to browse around the shop. I paid £13.00 for the entrance and the guidebook. Please note that there are no toilet facilities for visitors, but there are two in nearby St James's Park. Four stars and not five because of short length of tour.
Written 2 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brodie52
Vancouver, Canada452 contributions
Aug 2011 • Couples
We always heard about the wonderful house the late Queen Mother lived in just off the Mall near Buckingham Palace...but unless you were a personal friend few people actually got to have a look inside. Clarence House is now the London home of Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall but the Prince of Wales has chosen to keep the public rooms on the main floor much the same as they were when his late grandmother was still alive. The tours are popular so book early... terrific tour guides take groups of 18 through the home's public rooms. You get to see part of the Queen Mother's fabulous art collection and other wonderful collectables displayed in the home. Guests are restricted to a few rooms on the main floor but you do get a real sense of what it was like to be invited to Clarence house in it's hay day.
Written 25 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Visit Blighty
2,739 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
I was on a mission of seeing all the quintessential London tourist spots which as a local I had never actually visited myself and when booking my tickets online for the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace I came across the option of visiting Clarence House. As they say “in for a penny, in for a pound” so I also booked a tour of Clarence house.
My only negative feedback on my visit was that I had the first time slot of the day and was early but it was totally unclear which the correct entrance was and nor was it clear on the website or on the info sent with the ticket, when the gate is not open there was no signage to indicate I was at the correct entrance.
To my surprise I found Clarence House a real revelation being exceedingly well presented. It has a very special wonderful homely feel. I know it’s name does not bare the same amount of weight but I felt it was a much better experience than Kensington Palace for example. The lady who took the tour I was on did an exceptional job, she was welcoming and personable yet professional, the tour was the perfect length of time and mix of facts, history and trivia. The rooms are all very interesting and needless to say full of great artifacts, family pictures and show the personalities of its inhabitants. Clarence house was the home of the Queen Mother for several decades.
I would really recommend a visit here ahead of some of the the other more well known properties, this is the “real deal” so to say and I felt I got an insight to a very private and intimate world.
My only negative feedback on my visit was that I had the first time slot of the day and was early but it was totally unclear which the correct entrance was and nor was it clear on the website or on the info sent with the ticket, when the gate is not open there was no signage to indicate I was at the correct entrance.
To my surprise I found Clarence House a real revelation being exceedingly well presented. It has a very special wonderful homely feel. I know it’s name does not bare the same amount of weight but I felt it was a much better experience than Kensington Palace for example. The lady who took the tour I was on did an exceptional job, she was welcoming and personable yet professional, the tour was the perfect length of time and mix of facts, history and trivia. The rooms are all very interesting and needless to say full of great artifacts, family pictures and show the personalities of its inhabitants. Clarence house was the home of the Queen Mother for several decades.
I would really recommend a visit here ahead of some of the the other more well known properties, this is the “real deal” so to say and I felt I got an insight to a very private and intimate world.
Written 14 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John F
Buckinghamshire, UK510 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
The tour was disorganised. We were asked to wait on one side of a tent by one member of staff, but the whole group was then moved to the other side by another member of staff. The group that left 15 minutes before us had 6 people -there were already 20 waiting for the next tour.
I think we were fortunate - the guide that took the first group had heavily accented speech, and was difficult to understand.
Our guide was good, but the group was so big and the rooms so small that not everything was visible.
You get to see a handful of unimpressive rooms, which are used as meeting places for the charities based at Clarence House. The tour is 45 minutes. If you were walking without a guide it would take 5 minutes.
The inevitable gift shop is in a nice room, but full of complete tat (a lot of it from the Buckingham Palace gift shop).
So disappointing.
London is packed with far, far better places. One that jumps to mind is the (free admission) Wallace Collection, but this is little known by tourists.
The good news is that Clarence House is only open for part of the year.
I think we were fortunate - the guide that took the first group had heavily accented speech, and was difficult to understand.
Our guide was good, but the group was so big and the rooms so small that not everything was visible.
You get to see a handful of unimpressive rooms, which are used as meeting places for the charities based at Clarence House. The tour is 45 minutes. If you were walking without a guide it would take 5 minutes.
The inevitable gift shop is in a nice room, but full of complete tat (a lot of it from the Buckingham Palace gift shop).
So disappointing.
London is packed with far, far better places. One that jumps to mind is the (free admission) Wallace Collection, but this is little known by tourists.
The good news is that Clarence House is only open for part of the year.
Written 12 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Which entrance do I need for the conducted tour?
Written 16 July 2018
How long before your tour would you recommend arriving
Written 15 August 2017
Only a few minutes, it was all very quick, as there's not many on each your...I think there were around 8 of us do it doesn't take long to process people.
Written 17 August 2017
Borbala94
Budapest, Hungary
Is the entrance from The Mall?
Written 17 July 2017
sorry to be so late seeing this question, we were away! Yes the entrance is on the mall side. It's not as noticable as you might expect but they do have a placard out on the street when there are tours being given. It's a beautiful home! enjoy!
Written 11 August 2017
RanosU3a
Melton Mowbray, United Kingdom
Is there a joint ticket with the Queens gallery
Written 29 June 2017
During the month of August, how long should one allocate for the Clarence House tour?
Written 26 February 2017
Hi, Clarence House offer a guided tour which lasts approx 45 mins, i guess if you ask more questions it may last a bit longer, but the talk that they give is very good and I think answers most of your questions before you even think of them.
You will need to book your tickets, and so with the checking in, security etc i would allow 90 mins from entrance to exit.
Hope this helps
Christine
Written 27 February 2017
Can you visit the Clarence House gift shop all year or is it only open in August when the house is available to tour?
Written 31 January 2017
Clarence House is not an all year round open to visitors, nor is the shop.!
Written 1 February 2017
When is Clarence House open to the public in 2016
Written 24 April 2016
When is Clarence House open to the public in 2016
Written 24 April 2016
It opens to the public during the month of August. Go to the Riyal Collection website to check on ticket availability and for booking. Note that you are taken around the house by an English speaking guide in groups of 18 people.
Written 10 August 2016
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