Buckingham Palace is one of London's most well known landmarks and is best known for being an official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British Monarch. It's central London location makes it something of a focal point for national events and tourists. Whenever something momentous occurs in England a crowd is likely to form infront of the palace, at joyous times revelers can often be seen climbing and splashing about in the fountain but at sad times the mood is, obviously, far more sombre.
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Tourists are drawn to Buckingham Palace to witness the pageant of the Changing of the Guard which takes place in the forecourt at about eleven each morning. This is where you will see the familiar red coats and the tall fur caps known as bearskins. The Guard that changes is actually the Queen's Guard whose responsibility it is to guard Buckingham Palace and St James Palace. The Changing of the Guard involves those soldiers of St James Palace marching to Buckingham Palace (along the Mall) to meet up with the soldiers there (who in total make up the Old Guard) to be replaced by the New Guard. The Changing of the Guard is a very formal affair accommpanied by the music of a full military band (consisting of 35 muscicians) and is one of the things you should really try to get to see when you stay in London.
Some Interesting Facts About The Development Of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace was not as palacial as it appear today and the facade of the east front was a fairly recent addition. Originally the site featured a very large townhouse called Buckingham House (after the Duke of Buckingham who had it built in 1703). It was aquired by George III in 1761 for Queen Charlotte. George IV employed the services of the creator of Regent's Park, John Nash, to convert the building into a palace but it is said that the elderly Nash was not sufficiently strong to argue with the King and the project became widely known for incompetence and eventually he was dismissed because of the mounting expense.
William IV commissioned Edward Blore to complete the work of Nash. When Queen Victoria came to the throne the work was complete but faught with problems. When she married Prince Albert he set to work fixing as much as he could and by 1840 the work was complete. With a growing family it was inevitable that free space would decrease and in 1847 the central courtyard was enclosed with the addition of a range. As with any home internal changes continued but it was not until the time of Edward VII that the changes departed from the original ideas and designs of Nash.
In 1910 George V came to the throne and with the new king came new ideas for Buckingham Palace. The changes carried out during the reign of George IV are those which are most distinctive today. The Victoria Memorial was completed in 1911 and the white marble surround was constructed by Sir Aston Webb. Webb also constructed the Mall which features pink tarmac so that it resembles a flowing red carpet leading up to Queen Victoria who looks down the Mall. The boldest change by George V was the changing of the principal facade which he had refaced in Portland Stone in a very distinctive and bold design. This 1913 design is what we see today.
The total floorspace of the palace amounts to some 77,000 square metres (828,818 sq ft).
Contact
Buckingham Palace
London
SW1A 1AA
Getting To Buckingham Palace
The easiest way to get to Buckingham Palace is via the London Underground (London Tube), get off at Victoria, Green Park or Hyde Park Corner. If you want to travel by London bus then the numbers C1, C10, 11, 211 and 239 all stop along Buckingham Palace Road. Many of London's coach/bus sightseeing tours include passing Buckingham Palace and a small number include a visit to the State Rooms.
| Nearest Tube Stations | Nearest Railway Stations | Nearest Car Parks |
| Victoria (8 minutes away) | Victoria (10 minutes away) | Arlington House Pure Parking (8 minutes away) |
| St James's Park Tube (8 minutes away) | Charing Cross (21 minutes away) | Carrington Street NCP (10 minutes away) |
Opening Times
26th Jul to 30 Sep: 9.45am-6pm
(last admission 3.45pm)
Hotels Near Buckingham Palace
Rubens at The Palace - A Red Carnation Hotel
A 4 star hotel on Buckingham Palace Road, less than a quarter of a mile from the Palace. Read more...
41 Hotel - A Red Carnation Hotel
A 5 star hotel on Buckingham Palace Road, less than a quarter of a mile from the Palace. Read more...
Thistle Westminster
Another 4 star hotel on Buckingham Palace Road within quarter of a mile from the Palace. Read more...
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Useful Buckingham Palace Links
British Monarchy
The official site of the British Monarchy
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