King Charles sanctions painstaking changes at all royal homes
All of His Majesty King Charles III's royal homes will undergo changes this weekend, as will all UK houses – when the clocks go forward!
As we 'leap into Spring' this may mean you remembering to adjust the living room clock and change the time on the oven, but for the royal household it is a military operation.
It is reported that there are over 1,000 timepieces across the royal portfolio, housed in various locations. In total, there are 450 timepieces at Windsor Castle, 600 at Buckingham Palace and 50 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
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Changing all these clocks to the correct time is a process that will take over 40 hours to complete and there will be teams based at each property to ensure no clock is missed. However, the lengthy task means even after beginning the admin at 2am on Sunday morning, some of the clocks will still be at the wrong time come Monday.
Luckily, the royals employ a royal horological conservator who will oversee the mission.
Clocks are a special thing for the monarch, so he will no doubt want to ensure everything runs smoothly. The types of clocks he owns include musical clocks, astronomical clocks, miniature clocks and turret clocks.
Interestingly, the clocks inside the royal kitchens are all set a little early and this is to make sure that all meals are definitely served up in time!
The King's love of clocks
The King previously opened up about why he loves clocks so much during a special episode of The Repair Shop that aired in October 2022 as part of the BBC's centenary celebrations.
His Majesty invited Jay Blades and the team into Dumfries House in Scotland where he showed them two pieces that he wanted repaired, one of which was an 18th-century bracket clock.
Steve Fletcher, the show's horologist, was tasked with fixing the clock and he quizzed the King why they mattered to him so much.
"To me, I just love the sound of a tick tock," said Charles. "But also, if they chime. That's why I love grandfather clocks.
"I find it rather reassuring in a funny way, and they become really special parts of the house… as you were, the beating heart of it. So that's why they matter to me."
He added: "I'm afraid it is something I learnt from my grandmother. She had great fun putting a few together and trying to get them to chime at the same time in the dining room, which made it very enjoyable because everybody had to stop talking. All the clocks and cuckoos would go off, then you'd hear a voice saying, 'What time is it?'"
Later in the show, the King made a confession. "It took me a long time to realise there is one at Clarence House that plays the national anthem, it took me a long time to realise it was," he told The Repair Shop team and viewers.
