Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Presentation

. Buckingham Gate

Queen Victoria .

… "I delight in Buckingham Palace", said Queen Victoria, when she moved in three weeks after ascending to the throne.

… Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality, and a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

… Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

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Vital statistics Buckingham Palace is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the quadrangle) and 24 metres high. The total floor area of the Palace, from basement to roof, covers over 77,000 square metres.

… Buckingham Palace gets its name from an eighteenth-century Tory politician. John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby, was created Duke of Buckingham in 1703. He built Buckingham House for himself as a grand London home.

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… Buckingham House was transformed into Buckingham Palace in the 1820s by the architect John Nash for George IV. But the first monarch to use Buckingham Palace as their official residence was Queen Victoria, who moved there in 1837. The previous monarch - William IV - had preferred to live at Clarence House and to use St. James's Palace for State functions.

Touring Buckingham Palace Visitors may visit the State Rooms, (August 4 to September 30, 2009, 9:30- 4:30), and the Royal Mews, (Monday to Thursday, 12:00-4:00 October-July, 10:30-4:30 August and September. Visitors may also watch the Changing of the Guard, which takes place in the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 each day during April and May, and on alternate days during the rest of the year. The ceremony takes 45 minutes. Arrive early for a good view.

The State Rooms The State Rooms are lavishly furnished with some of the world's great art including paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens, sculpture by Canova and Chantrey, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

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The Royal Mews The Royal Mews is one of the finest working stables in existence. It houses the Monarch’s State carriages,including the Gold State Coach built in 1762.

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The Queens Gallery The Queen's Gallery is currently undergoing redevelopment that will double the size of its display space to create year-round exhibitions of paintings, drawings and watercolors, jewellery, furniture, porcelain and other magnificent works of art from the Royal Collection. The Queen’s Gallery reopens for the Golden Jubilee in 2002.

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State Banquet at Buckingham Palace …

… State Banquets are held to honour a visiting Head of State, when the Queen entertains around 170 guests on the first evening of the visit. During this year’s summer opening of Buckingham Palace, the horseshoe-shaped table traditionally used at State Banquets will be set with silver-gilt from the Grand Service first used to celebrate the 73rd birthday of King George III in 1811.

… Visitors will also be able to watch film footage showing behind-the-scenes work of Royal Household staff, including chefs, footmen, pages, florists and housemaids.