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 Buckingham
Palace is the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen,
used as a home and an office. The London residence of
the Queen and Prince Philip, and Princess Anne, Prince Edward
and the Duke of York all have apartments here.
When the Queen is in residence
the Royal Standard can be seen flying above the palace. The
Palace is also used for ceremonial state occasions such as
investitures and banquets for visiting heads of state.
Buckingham House was built in
1702 for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and was purchased
by George III in 1761. In 1826 George IV commissioned
John Nash to transform the original house into a palace.
However, Nash removed in 1830 for overspending his budget.
Both George IV and his brother, William IV, died before the
work on the house was completed.
The first monarch to live at
Buckingham Palace was Queen Victoria, and the Palace has been
the London residence of the royal family ever since.
To fund a major expansion of
the palace in 1853 - 55 Queen Victoria sold the Royal Pavilion
in Brighton. The east wing facade, which faces the The
Mall, was designed by Aston Webb and added in 1913.
Since then there have been few alterations to the palace.
Each August and September, when
the royal family are away on holiday, the state rooms of Buckingham
Palace are open to the public. The 18 rooms were first
opened to visitors in 1993 to help raise funds to repair fire-damaged
Windsor Castle. Using the public entrance in Ambassador's
Court, visitors pass up the grand staircase and through magnificent
state rooms, not entering the royal family's private apartments.
The lavishly decorated state rooms, created by Nash in the
1820s, are the highlight of the tour. Used for state
and official entertaining, these rooms are in the main west
front, overlooking the garden.
The Throne Room is illuminated
by seven chandeliers, and here the Queen carries out formal
ceremonial duties. The Green Drawing Room is the first
room entered by guests at royal functions.
The Royal Family enter the French-style
White Drawing Room through a secret door from the Royal Closet,
and onto the baroque Ballroom for state banquets or the State
Dining Room for less formal occasions. Investitures
also take place in the Ballroom.
The gold and white Music Room,
with its original parquet floor, is used the presentation
of State guests and royal christenings.
The Picture Gallery displays
just a small selection of the Queen's magnificent collection
of paintings. These important artworks include paintings
by Rembrandt and Rubens, and further pieces decorate the other
state rooms. The Blue Drawing Room, one of the finest
in the palace, is divided into bays by giant Corinthian columns
decorated with imitation onyx.
By going down the Ministers'
Staircase, and through the Marble Hall, the Garden can be
reached. Set out in 1825 by William Townsend Aiton,
of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, this is a haven in the
heart of London. Only a 1,500 foot walk is open to the
pubic, which goes around the the lake, giving a rare view
of the west front of the palace.
Visitors can also watch the Changing
of the Queen's Guard. Dressed in scarlet tunics and
bearskins, some of the Guard stand in sentry boxes outside
the Palace whilst others patrol the grounds. Changing the
Guard is a colourful, musical military ceremony in which the
New Guard marches from St
James's Palace down the Mall
to Buckingham Palace. For half an hour the guards parade
outside the palace while the Old Guard hands the Palace keys
to the New Guard.
Admission charge
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St James's Park
