Buckingham Palace
- Address:Buckingham Palace Road, The Mall
- Hours:Opening times vary based on Queen's schedule
- Admission:Cost varies throughout year
4:10 AM Sunday, May 27
Clear. Cool.
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Buckingham Palace has been the Queen's official residence since 1837 (when Queen Victoria decided St James's Palace, just down the road, was too small and unimpressive). Nowadays Buckingham Palace is where the Queen holds her most important parties, gives out her annual awards, and meets and greets important people from other countries.
Most of the year Buckingham Palace is closed to the public. However during the summer months, when the Queen heads on holiday to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, part of the palace is open to the public. You can wander through 19 lavishly furnished state rooms including the Throne Room and Queen Victoria's Picture Gallery (which includes works by Rembrandt, Canaletto and Vermeer). You may also go out into part of the gardens (the largest private gardens in London).
The rest of the year, you can only gaze through the gates at the imposing facade and the balcony from which Charles and Diana waved when they married all those years ago and William and Kate famously shared two kisses. This front, or eastern entrance, is also where The Changing of the Guard happens, when the Foot Guards of the Household Regiment, who guard the royal family, change shifts.
From July 23 to October 3, 2011, when you visit Buckingham
Palace, you’ll also be treated to a special exhibition featuring Kate
Middleton's wedding dress, worn during her wedding to Prince William in April
2011. The dress was designed for Kate (now better known as the Duchess of
Cambridge) by English designer Sarah Burton, who designs for Alexander McQueen.
You'll have a rare opportunity to view this stunning creation and admire the
magnificence of its craftsmanship up close.
Another enticing feature for 2011 is the Royal Fabergé exhibition, displaying masterpieces by Carl Fabergé, the celebrated Russian goldsmith and jeweler. See his meticulously designed Imperial Easter Eggs and dazzling jewel-encrusted boxes that were created for successive generations of the British Royal Family.
Latest Reviews All Buckingham Palace Reviews »
Windsor Castle was fascinating, with an incredible amount of history and interesting things to see. Buckingham Palace was fortunately open when I was in London, and it was truly amazing. We had access to many of the state rooms and saw the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress on display. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
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This was an excellent tour to do when time is limited. The tour guide was informative and the open top Harrods Bus was great. It was timed to perfection starting with the tower of London tour, the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and then completing with the Harrods High Tea. All in all an excellent experience!
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I would highly recommend this tour if you are having a short stay in London as this tour covers so much. We had read mixed reviews prior to booking but we said we'd take a chance and were glad that we did. They picked us up on time from our hotel and brought us to Victoria station where we were introduced to our guide for the day. Our guide Alan especially made this trip enjoyable for us as he had a very in depth knowledge of London and he was also very entertaining. Also our bus driver, Malcolm, was very friendly and helpful. One piece of advice I would give is to try and do this tour on any day other than a Sunday as a lot of places are closed. We began the tour by visiting Westminster Abbey but couldn't go inside due to it being a Sunday, we were then brought to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben on the hour so we could hear the chimes which was a nice touch. We then had a guided tour of the Tower of London followed by the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. However, it was very busy due to it being a Sunday so we were unable to get down to the front of the palace so we just seen them marching along the road, we then had a cruise along the Thames followed by lunch. Then it was off to St Paul's but again we were unable to go inside due to service. We opted for a flight on the London Eye at the end, it began raining which restricted our view. Overall really enjoyed it but try and do it during the week if possible!
Continue Reading »Practical Info
Buckingham Palace is easy to find, located right in the heart of London. The nearest stations are St James Park, Green Park and Victoria. To visit the state rooms it's important to book tickets ahead of time. The Queen's Gallery and Royal Mews are open to the public throughout the year and you can see changing exhibitions from the royal art collection and the Queen's carriages and horses. But again, it's important to check the exact dates of opening.
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