One of the most iconic Royal buildings in the United Kingdom, Buckingham Palace is the royal residential hub of the Queen of England. Notably, it crowns itself as one of the very few working Royal Palaces existing across the world and it is one of the best places to visit in England. On the occasion of both national and royal celebrations, the Queen of England gives her public appearance through the Palace’s central gallery. If you're planning a trip to Europe, make sure to include a visit to Buckingham Palace in your itinerary to witness its grandeur and possibly catch a glimpse of royal ceremonies.
Buckingham Palace features around 775 rooms which are inclusive of the 19 staterooms and 78 modernized bathrooms. The lavishly decorated staterooms here are reserved for the monarchs to receive their rewards. There are sparkling candelabras, sumptuous carpets, fine furniture, marble columns, damask wallpaper to embrace the overall beauty of the Palace.
The Royal Palace homes to the Throne Room which forms a central attraction for all the visitors coming from different parts of the world. This is the place where the royals plan their ceremonial receptions – the one like the Queen’s Jubilee.
The Garden of Buckingham Palace spans across an area of 39 acres with 350+ wildflower types and 200 trees. Apart from this, there is a 3-acre vast lake located within the Gardens. Tennis courts, herbaceous border, summer house, Rose Garden, and the Waterloo Vase are the principal attractions of this Garden of Buckingham Palace.
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• The Grand Hall of the monument takes you to the epic Grand Staircase, which is the first thing to see during the tour. It leads to the State Rooms, lit by a beautiful dome in the ceiling.
• The Marble Hall's "Mars and Venus" sculpture depicts the legendary battle between the Roman God of War and the Roman Goddess of Love.
• Enter the Palace's Throne Room, which served as a ballroom during Queen Victoria's reign and is currently featured as a setting for royal wedding portraits.
• Explore the Picture Gallery, which houses some of the most exquisite portraits of the Royal Family and was originally built to display King George VI's extensive art collection.
• Enter the Ballroom, which is the Palace's largest and most opulent room. The Italian Renaissance design of the ballroom, where the Queen hosts over 170 guests and leaders of state will captivate you.
• To explore the palace, you get a free audio guide from Prince Charles himself, which is available in 10 different languages; English, French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Brazilian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Russian.
Buckingham Palace is located at a distance of 0.6 miles from the London City Centre. You can either opt for The Mall Road route; as it will just take 4 minutes for you to reach your final destination. Else, you can move via A4 and the Mall Road to cover your distance within 7 minutes. While the former is a faster route, the latter seems to be crowded.
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You get to see excellent Royal collections within the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. There are paintings by Canaletto and Van Dyck; fine periodic furniture and rare porcelain items here. Visiting the stateroom allows you to explore the Picture Gallery, the Throne Room, the spectacular White Drawing Room, and the Music Room.
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There are an array of carriages and state coaches used by the British monarchs within the Royal Mews. Gold State Coach is the chief attraction of this section of Buckingham Palace.
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It is an excellently carved public art gallery which occupies the west front portion of the Buckingham Palace. It features diverse exhibitions of around 450+ extensive Royal memorabilia.
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This is a 40-acre park that lies on the other side of Buckingham Palace and offers a phenomenal view of the same.
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This has been acknowledged as London’s traditional treasure since 1660. This phenomenal guard changing ceremony begins with the Queen’s Life Guard riding form the Hyde Park Barracks and thereby passing Buckingham Palace to replace the guards at the Horse Guard. This event takes place sharply at 11:30 am every day and lasts for a total of 40 minutes.
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Although you won't be able to explore every single nook and corners of the Palace, State Rooms, The Royal Mews, The Queen’s Gallery, Clarence House, Green Park, and the Buckingham Palace Gardens are the chief attractions that you shouldn’t miss.
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There’s a museum within the premises of the Royal Mansion – The Household Cavalry Museum. British uniforms, standards, awards, elegant horse fittings, musical instruments, awards are some of the chief attractions of this museum.
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Buckingham Palace is the private residential space of the Queen; the worth of which is around $5 billion.
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The Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Royal Family of England. Apart from here, the rest of the members have their own royal estates, castles, and palaces which they refer to as their homes.
No. You won’t be allowed to take any pictures in and around the premises of Buckingham Palace. As this is the official residential place of the Queen of England, capturing images and recording videos are strictly prohibited.
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During the visitor's entry period, people visiting Buckingham Palace are allowed to walk around its gardens. So, if you want to explore the magnificence of Buckingham Palace, plan your visit anytime between April and September.
If you are planning to explore some of the staterooms of Buckingham Palace, your visit might conclude within 2 and ½ hours.
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No. There are entry fees chargeable for your entry to Buckingham Palace. The various categories of the entry fees that are chargeable for the visitor entry are as follows – For entry to the State Room at Buckingham Palace – Adults - £24.00 per head Students & seniors (60+) - £22.00 per head Children (below 17 years) - £13.50 per head Children (below 5) - Free entry For entry to the State Room, the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace – Adults - £42.30 per head Students & seniors (60+) - £38.50 per head Children (below 17 years) - £23.30 per head Children (below 5) - Free entry
Victoria Underground & Railway Station is the nearest tube station to reach Buckingham Palace. It is situated at a distance of 5 to 10 minutes walk from Buckingham Palace via the Royal Mews.
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There is no official dress code or any specific attire wear for visiting Buckingham Palace.
If you are planning to explore some of the staterooms of Buckingham Palace, your visit might conclude within 2 and ½ hours.
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If you happen to touch the Queen’s Guard, you might end up being in trouble of facing the other end of their gun.
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