Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of British rulers in central London for 300 years. It is surrounded by Green Park from the north, by St. James Park from the east, which is where The Mall boulevard leading to Trafalgar Square begins. It was built in 1703 according to a design by architect John Nash. At present, it is the seat of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
It is used as a place of state audiences or receptions. The Queen’s presence is signaled by a state flag called Union Jack. At Queen’s summer vacation, the palace is open to the public (from July to September). It was not open to public until 1993. Altogether the palace has 600 rooms; it is possible to visit only some of the state rooms. Guests can visit the Double Staircase, the Green Drawing Room, the Throne Room and several other rooms such as the State Dining Room, the Blue Drawing Room or the White Drawing Room. The palace is popular for its changing of the guard at 11:00 am. Festivals and sometimes concerts are held regularly in the palace, where up to 50,000 people are invited. Near the palace, there are royal stables with the Gold State Coach from 1760. It is used for coronation or anniversary celebrations. The most beautiful view of Buckingham Palace is from the Victoria Memorial.
Useful information for visitors
Public transport connections
The nearest public transport stop at Buckingham Palace is:
- train station London Victoria
- train station London Charing Cross
- underground station Victoria
- underground station Green Park
- underground station St James’s Park
Opening hours and admission
Up-to-date information on admission, opening hours and private tours of Buckingham Palace is available here. Information about guard changing times can be found here.
Interesting facts about Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace was declared the official residence of the royal family during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th century. This required reconstruction and expansion of the palace space, and thus building a new wing began. The most precious exhibit in the garden is the huge Waterloo Vase, which Napoleon Bonaparte had carved out of one piece of Carrara marble.