[2] Some Prime Ministers, since then have preferred to stay at their private homes and only use Temple Trees for official functions.

During the 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt by senior police and reservist military officers, Temple Trees was the principal target.

However, the coup was thwarted by the Police CID and the internal security detail of the Royal Ceylon Navy took up guard at Temple Trees.

It once again became a refuge for Sirima Bandaranaike when she was rushed there on the night of 4 April 1971 after an assassination plot was uncovered, to be carried out at her private residence at Rosmead Place, at the outset of the 1971 JVP Insurrection.

Temple Trees has been the official residence of all United National Party Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka.

The first Prime Minister from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Mahinda Rajapaksha has taken up the use of Temple Trees while retaining his former official residence at Wijerama which was allocated to him as a former President.