Buckingham Palace

The area in front of the palace has been always a rallying point for the British people at times of crisis or national rejoicing..

History

The building which forms the core of the palace complex is a grand, classicist object with majestic facade. It is decorated with Corinth semi-pylons. The building was originally designed for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, on a site that had been previously occupied by the Goring House (built in 1633) . Several decades later it became the official royal residence. Between 1826 and 1830 it was remodelled according to the design by architect John Nash. In 1837, under the rule of Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace became the main royal palace and was greatly reconstructed and modernized. However, the present look - the richly decorated Dancing Hall, the large staircase, the Marble Hall, the Grand Entrance area and the Gallery in the style of Belle Époque, with prevailing cream yellow and golden colours - this all originates from the beginning of the 20th century, from the period of King Edward VII and King George V. During the Second World War, the palace was bombed seven times. One of the bombs hit the inner courtyard while King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II were present. In 1940, the palace chapel was totally destroyed by a German bomb.

Interiors

The main rooms in the palace, i.e. the state rooms - the Music Room, the Blue Room and the White Room - are situated on the first floor of the Western Wing. This group of rooms is connected by means of a 50 -metre -long Picture Gallery with paintings created by renowned artists (Rembrandt, van Dyck, Vermeer, Rubens, etc.) Then there is the Green Drawing Room and the Throne Room: they both are used only for official events. Just under the state rooms, there are several smaller rooms - semi-state rooms. These are used for luncheon parties and private audiences. Some of them have been named after significant visitors (for example, the 1844 Room, whose name is connected with the visit of Tzar Nicholas I of Russia. In the middle of this group of rooms is the Bow Room, through which thousands of guests pass every year when they arrive for the Queen´s Garden Parties. The private rooms, used by the Queen, are situated in the North Wing of the palace. The rooms on the ground floor of the North Wing - the Belgium Suite - are used by foreign heads of state when paying a state visit to the United Kingdom. The East Wing of the palace, in particular the red and blue Chinese Luncheon Room and the Yellow Room are decorated in the Orient style with pieces of furniture taken from the Brighton Pavilion.

Interesting facts

The data about the palace state that in 1999 Buckingham Palace included total 19 state rooms, 52 bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

Special events

Buckingham Palace is the site where numerous ceremonial events take place, for example, investitures, including the conferring of knighthoods by dubbing with a sword, state receptions on the first day of the visit of a head of state, formal dinners for foreign diplomats, ambassador audiences, etc. All these events are guarded by the Yeomen Warders in traditional uniforms.

Royal Gardens

There are large gardens behind the palace. The most important event there is the Queen´s Garden Party - up to 9 thousand invitations are sent out. Next to the palace, you can find royal garages and stables. This is the place where the Royal Coach is kept. It is used only for coronation or coronation anniversary celebrations.

Public access

Buckingham Palace is the weekend residence for the Queen and her husband. Until the 1990s the palace was closed for the public for most of the year. A present, approximately 360 visitors come to the palace every year. The money earned from the tickets is used for reconstruction of the state rooms in Windsor Castle that had been damaged by fire. Buckingham Palace is a popular tourist destination as being present in front of the Buckingham Palace when the Changing of the Guard (daily during the summer months, every other day during the winter) takes place is a must for nearly every visitor to London.

GPS: 51.5008889524, -0.1426935196  Edit

Altitude: 18 m  Edit

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