BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Description

Essentials about Buckingham Palace in brief

No visit to London is complete without a photo of Buckingham Palace, preferably during the Changing of the Guard. Since 1837, Buckingham Palace located in the heart of the city has been the official residence of the British monarchs. However, the palace not only serves as the residence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, but is also used as a venue for state receptions. It also houses the Queen’s Gallery (the Queen’s collection of paintings), which is open to the public, and the Royal Mews (the British monarchs’ car pool), which is also open to the public.

Visiting Buckingham Palace

At the back of the palace is a large park-like garden. As befits the Queen, it is the largest private garden in London. However, this is not open to the public. Buckingham Palace itself can be visited during the summer months (August and September) and on occasional days in winter and spring. However, only the reception rooms (The State Rooms) of the palace may be entered and of course not the private rooms of the Royal Family.

The history of Buckingham Palace

The history of Buckingham Palace begins in 1703, when the palace was first built as a townhouse for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and Normandy. After King George III acquired the building in 1761 as a private residence, it was gradually expanded into a palace with three wings and a courtyard. In 1837, with the coronation of Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace was finally declared the official residence of British monarchs.

Under Queen Victoria, the east wing of the palace was also added, which today still forms the end to the street The Mall and is the most popular photo motif for tourists. In addition, the magnificent marble archway that had previously adorned the entrance for state guests was dismantled and rebuilt near Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. Originally, only members of the royal family and their guards were allowed to pass under the Marble Arch – today, “ordinary” citizens are also allowed to enjoy this royal feeling.

Victoria Memorial

The Victoria Memorial, a statue in honor of Queen Victoria, has stood in front of the east facade of Buckingham Palace since 1911. By the way, the sandstone facade of the palace was redesigned at the time to better fit as a background to Victoria’s statue. Together with Buckingham Palace, the Victoria Memorial forms one of the most beautiful photo motifs of the British capital.

The Buckingham Palace Guards

A special highlight of the palace are the world-famous Buckingham Palace Guards with their red uniform jackets and bearskin caps. The changing of the guard by the Palace Guards has been one of the most traditional and important events in British royalty for over 700 years. It is not just a spectacle for tourist purposes, but actually still serves to replace The Old Guard with The New Guard. During the Changing of the Guard, the Buckingham Palace Guards are accompanied by a guard band that plays military marches as well as well-known pop songs and musical titles. How many Guards take part in the changing of the guard depends on whether the Queen is present at Buckingham Palace. Visitors can tell this by the fact that The Royal Standard, Her Majesty’s official flag, can be seen on the gable of the palace roof.

Website

www.royal.uk/buckingham-palace

Phone

Unavailable.

Opening hours

Buckingham Palace:

Jul. 21 – Aug. 31.: Daily 9:30 am – 7:00 pm

Sep. 01 – Sep. 30: Daily 9:30 am – 6:00 pm

Changing the Guard:

Apr. – Jul.: Daily at 11:30 am

Aug. – Mar.: Every other day at 11:30 am

The ceremony does not take place in case of heavy rain.

Admission fees

	The State Rooms	Royal Day Out*
Adults	£24.00	£42.30
Concessions	£22.00	£38.40
Children (Ages 5 – 16)	£13.50	£23.30
Small children (Ages 4 and under)	frei	frei
Families (2 adults and up to 3 children ages 16 and under)	£61.50	£107.90