King Charles gets his own plaque for Buckingham Palace gallery as he begins putting his own stamp on royal estate

King Charles is set to get his own plaque at Buckingham Palace following his accession to the British throne.

Plans have been lodged for a stone plaque to be installed at The King’s Gallery which exhibits works from the Royal Collection and is visited by millions of people every year. It includes old master paintings, rare furniture and decorative arts.

Under the plans submitted to Westminster City Council and seen by MailOnline, the plaque which ‘acknowledges the King’s accession’ will be made from Caithness Stone, one of the rarest paving stones in the world.

It will feature v-cut lettering of King Charles which will be incised by hand. It will acknowledge the renaming of The Queen’s Gallery to The King’s Gallery by His Majesty.

The Queen’s Gallery in London and The Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh were both renamed The King’s Gallery in December.

The stone plaque will be located near the entrance of the King’s Gallery, which attracts millions of tourists every year 

The two museums form part of the royal palace complexes – Buckingham Palace in London and Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. 

They were opened in 1962 and 2002 by Queen Elizabeth II and named in her honour.

But after Charles ascended to the throne, a rebranding exercise has been taking place across the royal estate to reflect the transition in the monarchy. 

The changes are wide ranging and cover many aspects of the monarchy, the Royal Household and many of the traditions and government institutions which bear the monarch’s name and title.

A planning statement submitted with the application states: ‘An internal floor plaque is proposed within the entrance hall to discreetly mark the occasion, replacing a single stone floor slab. 

‘Following His Majesty The King’s Accession, the Royal Collection Trust announced in December 2023 that ‘The Queen’s Gallery’ at Buckingham Palace will become ‘The King’s Gallery’. 

The stone plaque will be made from rare Caithness Stone from the Scottish Highlands 

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962 and has been renamed 

The Queen’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh was also recently renamed 

Explaining the renaming process, the Royal Household said in planning documents: ‘This proposed alteration is consistent with these wider changes in nomenclature and also reflects the change in nature of the collection as it forms the personal collection of the reigning monarch rather than the collection of a particular member of the Royal family.’

It comes after the Royal Collection U-turned on a decision to rename the galleries.

In a statement in March last year, the Royal Collection said were no plans to rename the museums after the new king. 

A spokesperson said at the time: ‘The Queen’s Galleries were founded and opened by Queen Elizabeth II, so at present there are no plans to change their names.’ 

However, in a later statement last December, they said: ‘The Royal Collection is held in trust by The King for his successors and the nation. 

‘It is therefore felt appropriate to rename the galleries as The King’s Galleries in recognition of the new reign,’ 

Royal Collection Trust staff pose for a photograph at the ‘Style & Society Dressing the Georgians’ Exhibition at The Palace Of Holyroodhouse

The first exhibition at The King’s Gallery (pictured) in the Palace of Holyroodhouse showcases the fashions of the Georgian period, spanning from the accession of George I in 1714 to the passing of George IV in 1830

The Royal Collection largely began in the 17th century and is one of the largest private collections of art in the world. 

It is one of the five main organisational sections of the Royal Household but it does not receive public funding. Overall, the Royal Collection is owned in trust by the King.

The royal family generates tourism revenue via the royal collection.

According to its annual report of 2019-20, 3,285,000 people visited the official residences, generating approximately £49,859,000.

From a retail perspective, gift shop sales of the royal collection made £19,983,646 in a single year, making its total income of the year to be £71,526,000.

Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment.