By Peter Hunt BBC royal correspondent

According to an official this lends an air of mystery to the place.

In the 19th century it would have been full of stuffed animals and weaponry.

The refurbishment has cost �6m

Such spoils of hunting are long gone. In their place and throughout the house, works of art now adorn the walls.

Clarence House was the Queen Mother's London home for nearly 50 years.

The challenge for those renovating the building was to reflect her time there without turning it into a shrine.

Reminders of her association are everywhere.

Some of her Dick Francis novels are still in a bookcase, there is a watercolour featuring two of her corgis, Billy and Bee, on a table in the Morning Room, and several portraits adorn the walls.

One of the artists was so nervous about painting a royal he apparently had to be reinforced with quite a lot of drink.

He did not hand over the finished work for 21 years.

'No MDF'

Some rooms are as they were when the Queen Mother was alive, while others reflect Prince Charles' tastes.

The Queen Mother spent 50 years there

There are plenty of well-worn rugs; clashes of colours and patterns; but no hint of any MDF.

The prince has gone for bronze, not gold leaf paint where it was required on the ceilings.

"Bronze", said one of those involved in the restoration, "looks lived in. Gold leaf is bright and garish".

Such finishing touches do not come cheap. Prince Charles has spent just over �1.5m of his own money on transforming Clarence House into his new London residence.

It has a flagpole and he can fly his own Standard when he is in town.

Mrs P-B

The prince has paid for the carpets, the curtains, a couple of chandeliers and the decorating of Camilla Parker-Bowles's two rooms.

Such are the sensitivities which still surround Mrs P-B, as some of the prince's staff refer to her, that the Palace has been keen to stress that no public money has been spent on the decor of her bedroom and ensuite bathroom.

The public will be able to see parts of the new look

It has been spent elsewhere. Nearly �4.5m of taxpayer's money has been used to fund the renovation.

Little building work was done during the Queen Mother's time. She had not wanted to be disturbed.

The major structural improvements which have since been carried out included re-wiring the house, removing asbestos and improving the plumbing.

In these cost-conscious, less reverential times, there are bound to be questions asked about the amount of public money being spent on a royal residence and whether such expenditure is justified.

Not surprisingly, the prince's treasurer believes it represents value for money.

Kevin Knott argues that Clarence House is a major part of the nation's heritage and the restoration work will last for a long time.

Almost sold out

Matthew Dennison, from House and Garden magazine, believes our perception of cost has been distorted by TV make-over programmes.

The prince did not pop out to his local DIY store, the argument goes, and if you want the very best in decorating, it doesn't come cheap.

Such matters are unlikely to trouble the dedicated royal watchers and the curious who visit Clarence House's five ground floor rooms in the coming months.