Visiting Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarchy and served as the primary home for Queen Elizabeth II. It functions as the setting for royal family events, hosting visiting heads of state, and as a major attraction for visitors to the United Kingdom. The structure contains 775 rooms, including 78 bathrooms, 118 staff bedrooms, 52 royal bedrooms, and 19 state rooms.
During the summer months, when the Queen resided in Scotland, specific rooms are open to the public:
- The Grand Staircase: A large marble staircase lined with portraits of the royal family.
- The State Dining Room: The dining room used by Queen Elizabeth II for official dinners.
- The Picture Gallery: An exhibition space featuring works by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, and Van Dyck, alongside a family portrait of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and five of their children.
- The Green Drawing Room: An antechamber where guests and official visitors wait before their audience with the Queen.
- The Throne Room: Used for investiture ceremonies and royal receptions, this room also serves as the site for official royal family photographs.
The palace is surrounded by the largest private garden in London. These 160 acres are meticulously maintained and feature 350 species of wildflowers, providing a habitat for numerous bird and butterfly species.
Changing of the Guard
The ceremony takes place daily during the summer and every other day in winter at 11:00 AM. Guards rotate their posts every two hours. While the changing of the guard is a popular event, a strict protocol remains in place for the guards to intervene should any threat to Buckingham Palace occur.
The Balcony of Buckingham Palace
The famous balcony is where the Queen traditionally greeted the public, where family members make official appearances, and where newlyweds have appeared after their wedding ceremonies, including Prince Charles and Lady Diana, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
Buckingham Palace is a real attraction. You are literally drawn to it (herd instinct I guess, as tourists we follow the crowd of our fellow travelers), and once you are in front of it, you aren't disappointed you made the trip. When you think about it calmly, you tell yourself that nothing extraordinary is happening there (a gate, guards who are impeccable and very disciplined, except for rare exceptions that is all), it does not move much. But there it is. The aura of the place means that when you are there, you are not quite yourself. You appreciate it, without really knowing why, and that is exactly what I loved during my short visit to London.