Buckingham Palace

The London Residence of Queen Elizabeth II

Whether you are a supporter of the royal family or not, Buckingham Palace should certainly be on your list of things to see on your visit to London.   Located in the middle of the City of Westminster and surrounded by the lush greenery of St James and Green Park,  Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and the administrative headquarters for the monarch of the United Kingdom.  It is one of the few working royal palaces that remain in the world today and is  one of Britain’s most impressive cultural landmarks.  As well as living in the palace when in London, the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, uses it as a venue for royal hospitality and important State occasions and an average year sees around 50,000 people visiting the Palace as guests to events hosted by the Queen.  Such events include entertaining foreign Head of States to lavish state banquets, luncheons or dinners.  It is also where honours such as MBEs, OBEs and knighthood ceremonies are held; where newly appointed foreign Ambassadors are received; and where the Prime Minister meets the Queen for the weekly audience.  Many receptions are held and, in the summertime, garden parties. 

Furthermore, the Palace is a significant focal point for national celebrations and commemorations.  The balcony, where the Royal Family appear at state events, national celebrations and royal weddings is, after Juliet’s balcony in Shakespeare’s play, one of the most famous balconies in the world.  For example, thousands of people thronged around the palace gates to celebrate VE Day at the end of the 2nd World War with the Royal Family being joined by Winston Churchill on the balcony.   The Queen’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 2002 and a music concert took place in the Palace garden with Brian May, from the rock group Queen, performing ‘God Save the Queen’ from the Palace rooftop.  In 2012, in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee, members of the public were invited to a picnic in the Palace garden.  In 2022, Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of reign.  The Palace again will be a focal point with a live concert planned to be held at the Palace featuring some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world.   Buckingham Palace also opens some of its State Rooms to the general public during the summer months where visitors can experience some of the opulence and splendour that the Royal Family is famous for. 

Despite the Palace being an important place of work and home to the Royal Family, it is not owned by them but held in trust by the Crown Estate. This basically means that it is not owned by the Queen but by the person who is currently reigning. So she can never sell nor benefit from money made from it.  Neither does it belong to the government. It is managed by an independent organisation that was established by statute.  Any surplus revenue from the Crown Estate is paid each year to the Treasury for the benefit of the nation’s finances. 

The history of Buckingham Palace is colourful and curious, as one would expect from a country seeped in odd traditions.  Below is an outline of its history and some interesting and strange facts related to Buckingham Palace. 

History

In medieval times the site where Buckingham Palace now stands formed part of the Manor of Ebury.  The land was wet and marshy due to the existence of the River Tyburn, which still flows below the courtyard and south wing of the Palace. Ownership of the site changed hands often with Edward the Confessor owning the land during the Saxon era and, after the Norman conquest, William the Conqueror took possession of it eventually passing it on to Geoffrey Mandeville who gifted it to the monks of Westminster Abbey. In the 16th century, Henry VIII took it back from the monks and also acquired St James Palace.  In the early 17th century James I had the land planted with mulberry bushes with the idea  that the garden would enable the rearing of silkworms.  Unfortunately, silk production never happened as the wrong kind of mulberry bushes had been planted.  In 1665, Goring House which was an attractive mansion located roughly where Buckingham Palace now stands, was bought by the 1st Earl of Arlington.  In 1674 it was destroyed in a fire and he replaced it with an even grander mansion, Arlington House.  (The site of Arlington House is where the southern wing of today’s Palace is sited).  In 1698 John Sheffield, who later became the 1st Duke of Buckingham acquired the lease and built Buckingham House in 1703, designed by the architect William Winde.  In 1761 Buckingham House was purchased by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, when it then acquired the name the ‘Queen’s House’.  It’s purpose was to offer Queen Charlotte a comfortable family home, away from the officialdom of court at St. James’ Palace which was the official residence of the Royal Family. Both the King and Queen loved the Palace and 14 of their 15 children were born there. 

When his son, George IV came to the throne in 1820 he decided to carry on using Buckingham House as a pied-a-terre and family home. However, he wasn’t completely happy with its design and eventually decided to transform the House into a Palace.  With the assistance of the renowned architect John Nash plans were drawn up which would double the size of the main block and a new suite of rooms was added on the western garden side.  The new facade of mellow stone from Bath was influenced by the French neo-classical style.   The money for this came from Parliament who had agreed a budget of £150,000 but eventually the King managed to extract the sum of £450,000 – feeling that this was a more realistic figure.  The northern and southern wings of the old Buckingham House were torn down and reconstructed on a much grander scale.  A triumphal arch to commemorate the British victories at the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo was the centrepiece of the expanded courtyard.  (This arch has now been relocated – it is Marble Arch in Hyde Park,  at the end of Oxford Street).  

By the year 1829 the costs had exceeded the budget and were now standing at close to half a million pounds.  This resulted in Nash being dismissed from the job.  George IV died in 1830 and never saw the completed Palace or had the opportunity to live in it.  The Crown then went to George’s younger brother, William IV who employed the architect Edward Blore to finish the Palace. This he did, in a similar but plainer style than that intended by John Nash and King George IV.  However, although William IV had been born in Buckingham House, he never moved into the Palace, refusing to live there and twice trying to give the palace away.  Firstly, to the Army as a barracks and, when the Houses of Parliament burned down in 1834, offered the Palace to Parliament as a new residence for them – an offer which was not taken up.  

The first official resident of Buckingham Palace then was Queen Victoria, who, after the death of William IV,  moved there in 1837 when she took up her long reign.  This is when Buckingham Palace became an official Royal residence.  In 1840 she was joined by her new husband, Prince Albert, and further alterations were made to accommodate their requirements with Edward Blore being called back in to carry out this work. This was when Marble Arch was relocated to Hyde Park so that a fourth wing could be added to the Palace. This new wing enabled the development of nursery accommodation to be added as well as bedrooms for visitors. Blore also added an attic floor to the main block, decorating it with marble friezes that were originally to be used for Nash’s Marble Arch. The cost of much of these alterations was met by selling off the Regency Royal Pavilion in Brighton.  Now Blore’s design of Buckingham Palace, with its quadrangle shape and facade that faces The Mall, began to look very much like the palace that we see today. 

After the death of Prince Albert in 1861 Queen Victoria used Buckingham Palace less and less, preferring to reside in Balmoral Castle, Windsor Castle or Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.   By the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of London’s polluted atmosphere, the soft stone that was used to face the east front of Blore’s design began to show signs of serious deterioration .  In 1913, Aston Webb was commissioned to create a new design.  All the old stonework was removed and replaced with hardier Portland Stone.  In 1911, as part of the Victoria Memorial Scheme, the Palace forecourt that we see today and where the Changing of the Guard takes place, was created.  Gates and railings were also added with all of these new renovations manging to be completed just before the start of the First World War in 1914. 

The monarchs who have followed the first Royal resident of Buckingham Palace continue to renovate and modernise both the exterior and the interior of the Palace. 

Inside Buckingham Palace

This magnificent Royal Palace features 775 rooms in total.  19 of these are State rooms, i.e. designed and used as public rooms where the monarchs receive and entertain visitors and reward outstanding achievements. The accommodation also includes some 52 royal and guest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms.  There are 78 bathrooms and 92 offices.  This leaves 346 rooms that are not accounted for in the official descriptions – with some therefore remaining a mystery and completely out of bounds to anyone except staff and the Royal Family themselves.  The palace also has its own Post Office, run by the Royal Mail and available for palace staff members to use.  There is a police station, an in-house cinema for palace staff, a health clinic and a doctor’s surgery and, in 1938, the Royal Family converted the north-west pavilion into a full-sized swimming pool.  In 2001 Coutts bank installed a cash machine in the basement for royal use.  In the West Wing are the wine vaults which belonged to John Sheffield, the first Duke of Buckingham.  These vaults are the oldest part of the palace. There are also a series of secret tunnels which run beneath the Palace.  In all, it covers an area of 39 acres with over 77,000 square metres of floor space.  The Palace employs more than 400 members of staff such as chefs, footmen, domestic servants, cleaners, chauffeurs, gardeners, electricians, plumbers and also a clockmaker who is employed to look after the 350 clocks and watches in the Palace with two horological conservators whose job is to wind the clocks up every week.   Finally, there are over 40,000 lightbulbs in the entire palace.  Buckingham Palace presents itself then more like a small town rather than a Palace.   The estimated value of the Palace today is in the region of £4.9 billion. 

The State Rooms

It would be a serious understatement to say that Buckingham Palace has some very fine rooms.  They are more than grand; they are opulent, sumptuous, lavish and grandiose.  Adorned with the finest and most exquisite silks and fabrics and filled with costly historical treasures and hung with priceless Old Masters painted by such artists as Ruebens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.  In line with its history, much of the interior style reflects Victorian, Regency and Edwardian influences.  When in residence there, the Queen lives in private apartments on the north side of the Palace.  Although none of The Queen’s children live at Buckingham Palace anymore, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and the Earl and Countess of Wessex retain space at the palace to use when duty requires, and the Sussexes used to keep their offices there as well. The rooms on the upper floors of the north and east sides are used by these and other members of the Royal Family, Most of the ground floor and the south wing are used by officials of the Household.  The State Rooms occupy the main west block facing the gardens. 

On entering the palace one of the first things that you see is John Nash’s magnificent grand, bronze staircase carpeted in a regal red with portraits of Queen Victoria’s immediate family displayed on the walls.  Apparently Nash took the idea for the design of this staircase from those he had seen when visiting London’s theatres – and theatrical it certainly is. 

On arriving at the top of the stairs you encounter many of the State rooms which predominantly reflect the taste of George IV.  A fair amount of the furniture, chandeliers, candelabra and works of art came from his home, Carlton House. Today the State Rooms are furnished with wonderful pieces from the Royal Collection which include paintings by Canaletto and Van Dyck, sculptures by Canova, Sevres porcelain and some of the finest and most exquisite English and French furniture.  Most of the State Rooms remain virtually unchanged since John Nash’s time. 

Several of the State Rooms are differentiated by colour and are decorated primarily in that colour.  One of the first you encounter is the Green Drawing Room.  This State Room serves as an anteroom to the Throne Room and is where  guests gather before being presented to the Queen in the Music Room prior to a dinner or banquet in the State Dining Room.  The Green Room is part of the ceremonial route to the throne from the Guard Room which is also at the top of the Grand staircase. 

Adjoining the Green Room is the Throne Room from where the Queen makes her royal addresses.  The main feature of this room are the Chairs of Estate – two thrones with a dramatic arched canopy over them.  The Queen’s throne is the same one she used for her coronation in 1953, the other was made later for the Duke of Edinburgh.  Nash’s design of this room, like the Grand Staircase, illustrates the theatrical influences that inspired him.  Today, the room is used for official entertaining such as balls and investitures.  It has also been used for official wedding photographs of members of the Royal Family such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

The next State Room encountered is the White Drawing Room.   It is a less formal, slightly more intimate room and it is from here that the Queen often tapes her annual Christmas message.  Although more relaxed it is still a very impressive room that houses a gilded piano made for Queen Victoria, some exquisite royal blue and gold Serves porcelain vases and a glorious portrait of Queen Alexandra hangs above the fireplace.  Apart from her Christmas message, the Queen regularly uses this room for small soirees.  On these occasions, the monarch enters the room from her private apartments  via a hidden door disguised as a mirror and cabinet. 

Next door to the White Drawing Room is the Music Room.  It does have a piano but has actually been the setting for some historic royal events, including the christenings of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince William. 

Adjoining the Music Room is the Blue Drawing Room which features blue flock wallpaper, glass chandeliers and scagliola columns that are painted to appear like stone onyx.  Before the Ballroom was added to the Palace in the 1850s the first State Ball was held there in 1838 as part of Queen Victoria’s Coronation celebrations.  In 2018 the Blue Drawing Room was used to entertain guests at a dinner attended by the Prime Minister during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Said dinner, mentioned above, was held in the State Dining Room which is adjacent to the Blue Drawing Room.  The State Dining Room is particularly historic and was also used during Prince William and Kate’s wedding reception in 2011, and has decorative red wallpaper and carpets, with numerous windows looking out to the beautiful palace gardens below.

At the end of this upper level is The Ballroom which is used for very prestigious banquets and for official visits from Heads of State from other countries.   The first event to be held in this magnificent Ballroom was a celebration of the end of the Crimean War in 1856.  This room also has the distinction of being the very first room to be connected to electricity in the Palace.   It is a beautiful room with crimson carpets, large artworks hanging on the walls, high ceilings and a chandelier made up of 9,000 pieces of lead crystal and weighing half a tonne.  This room is also often used for investiture ceremonies which can be either carried out by the Queen herself or other senior members of the Royal Family. Investiture ceremonies are when distinguished British citizens become knighted.

Connecting all these upper floor State Rooms is the Picture Gallery.  This was part of George IV’s transformation of the Palace in the 1820s and was designed to display his very prodigious art collection.  The Gallery is 47 metres long with an ever changing exhibit of artwork from the Royal Collection. 

Downstairs on the lower level is one of the most important rooms in Buckingham Palace, called the 1844 Room, so called because it was where Russian Tsar Nicholas I was received in that year.  In this room the monarch still receives her most distinguished visitors, with recent guests being President and First Lady Obama and President Xi Jinping of China.  A truly palatial room that is splendidly decorated and furnished. It has lavish marble columns and gold mirrors on the walls which are papered with a blush-hued wallpaper.  Traditional patterned rugs cover the floor and the furnishings include19th century blue and gold silk upholstered seating and a neoclassical desk made by the famous cabinet maker David Roentgen in 1820.  The candelabras are made from malachite, a green copper crystal with a silky lustre.  On the walls hang portraits of King George IV and his brother, Frederick, Duke of York, as children.   The 1844 Room is not open to the public however and its interior is only known from photographs and from those who have been lucky enough to be invited inside. 

On this level too is the Regency Room.  Another very beautiful room with a green and gold colour scheme, a traditional, elegant marble fireplace, tassel-trimmed sofas and a splendid desk from which the Queen also sometimes delivers her Christmas broadcasts surrounded by photographs of her family. 

The Queen’s Private Apartments. 

Few photographs exist of the rooms which can be deemed the Queen’s London home and it is known that she only occupies a mere 6 of the 775 rooms for her private use.  These include include her bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and private sitting room.  Prince Philip, before his recent death, also had a separate bedroom and dressing room.  This part of the Palace is very private and only family members and her special friends get to see inside.  One exception, however, is the Audience Room, where she holds private meetings with the Prime Minister and the adjoining waiting room, called the Empire Room. 

East Wing

Designed in the 1840s by Edward Blore to create more space for Queen Victoria’s growing family, the East Wing of the Palace is where the main entrance is with its iconic balcony and ornate gates. 

This part of the Palace is currently undergoing some restoration work and photographs and video footage of this have been shared by the Royal Family.  On the video it is possible to see some of the beautiful 19th century Chinese wallpaper in the Yellow Drawing Room that was removed for safekeeping prior to building work commencing.  This room was used by Queen Victoria for entertaining and today is used for official functions and meetings. 

Continuing down the corridor of the East Wing is the Chinese Dining Room furnished in the Chinoiserie style which represented 17th and 18th century European ideas of Chinese styles.  Much of the furnishings in this room come from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton which was a former Royal residence lived in initially by George IV who was very influenced by Indian and Chinese styles. 

Most of the remaining space of this wing is reserved for staff quarters and office and apartment space for other members of the Royal Family. 

The Balcony

The Balcony is probably one of the most iconic parts of Buckingham Palace.  Edward Blore included this famous central balcony on the East Front facade of the Palace at the suggestion of Prince Albert.  Queen Victoria was the first monarch to make a public appearance on the balcony in 1851 during the celebrations of the Great Exhibition.  This started a tradition which continues to this day.  Some of the most famous events where the Royal Family have greeted the large crowds outside the palace include King George V’s appearance on the eve of World War I; Royal Weddings;  to join with the public in watching The Queen’s annual official birthday celebration of the RAF Flypast at the end of Trooping the Colour; and any special event of national significance such as the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. 

The Gardens

The sprawling garden at the back of Buckingham Palace covers around 39 acres and contains more than 200 trees,  which include Horse Chestnut Avenue and the Plane trees which were planted by Queen Victoria an Prince Albert.  There is a wildflower meadow with around 350 types of wild flowers; a herbaceous border that covers an area of 156  metres; a three acre lake with an island at its centre where bees are kept; the Rose Garden; a tennis court and a helicopter landing pad.  It is the largest private garden in London. 

Every year, more than 50,000 people come to the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions, and Royal Garden Parties with some garden parties hosting up to 8,000 guests.  In a normal year the Palace will hold three official garden parties each summer and these usually happen in July.  During the summer months also, tickets are sold to the public to view and take tours of parts of the garden. This occurs only when the Queen is not at home. 

The Queen’s Gallery

The Queen’s Gallery is the main public art gallery in Buckingham Palace.  It occupies the space where the Palace’s Chapel was destroyed in a World War Two air raid and, at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s suggestion it was redeveloped as a gallery for the Royal Collection in 1962.  Before being converted into a private chapel for Queen Victoria in 1843, the building (which was designed by John Nash) was a pavilion designed in the form of an Ionic temple.  The current building has been sensitively built and recently extended to blend in with its surroundings.  It displays around 450 works of art that include mostly paintings and drawings on a rotating basis.  

The Queen’s Gallery is open to the public during the day for most of the year although it is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

Renovations

Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing major renovation work that is expected to cost between £369 million pounds and won’t be finished until 2027. The project aims to replace the palace roof and also the antiquated plumbing and electric cabling which have been in place since the 1950s.  This is vital work in order to reduce the risk of fire and flood with the modernisation work brought into line with current health and safety regulations.  The heating of the palace is to be improved and updated and lifts are to be installed to improve accessibility. 

The Queen’s Home

When you visit Buckingham Palace look to see what flag is flying above the palace.  If the Queen is in residence then her royal flag, known as the Royal Standard, will be flying from the flag pole.  If she is staying elsewhere then the British Union flag, commonly known as the Union Jack, will be displayed. The Royal Standard represents the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and is flown on any building where the Queen is visiting (except ecclesiastical buildings).  It is also displayed on the Queen’s car, on the Royal Yacht and on aircraft (before take-off) when she takes official journeys

The Royal Standard is divided into four quadrants.  On the first and fourth quadrants three golden lions are portrayed walking (passant) on a red background.  These quadrants represent England.  The second quadrant shows a red lion standing on the left back foot (rampant) on a gold background, this quadrant represents Scotland.  The third quadrant, which represents Ireland, shows the gold Coat of Arms of Ireland on a blue background. Wales is not represented in the Royal Standard, as its special position as a Principality was recognised by the creation of the Prince of Wales long before the incorporation of the quarterings for Scotland and Ireland in the Royal Arms.

The Royal Standard must never be flown below other flags – it is supreme. Neither is it ever flown at half mast because even after the death of a monarch there is always a Sovereign on the throne. 

Buckingham Palace has always very much been the family home of the current monarch.  Up until the death of Prince Philip in April 2021, most of the time during the week was spent in her private quarters with weekends and Easter time being spent at Windsor Castle around 25 miles away.  Since the death of her husband however she has tended to spend more time at Windsor where he died and is buried. 

It was and still is where the Queen thinks of as home. Two of her four children were born there – Prince Charles and Prince Andrew and the christenings of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince William all took place in the Palace’s Music Room.  Furthermore, it isn’t just the home of the Queen but also the London residence of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and their children. 

The Queen’s father,  George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) lived there and the then Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret grew up there. They too felt it was their primary home and, despite fears for their safety, King George VI and his Queen refused to leave the palace during the Blitz in World War 2.   However, her great grandfather, Edward VII is the only monarch to have been born and died at Buckingham Palace.  Today, despite a mass media, Buckingham Palace follows the ancient tradition of posting Royal births and deaths on the front railings of the Palace for members of the public to read. 

The Royal Guards

The sight of guards posted outside Buckingham Palace in their scarlet uniforms with huge bearskin hats is famous all over the world.  These guards come from five foot regiments of Foot Guards and are the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards.  Although all the different regiments appear the same , there are subtle differences in their uniforms, especially the spacing of the buttons of their tunics, the colour or existence of a plume on their hats and different collar and shoulder badges. The iconic scarlet tunics that they wear were chosen for very practical reasons.  The first reason was an economic one.  At the time that they were created, scarlet was one of the cheapest dyes to be made and so money could be saved when clothing an army.  The second reason was to do with military strategy.  Although the colour red stands out, it is not easy to distinguish from afar so an enemy would find it difficult to establish exactly how many soldiers were advancing towards them. 

It is not possible for any soldier to serve as a Royal Guard.  Those that do must be highly trained infantry soldiers who have fought with distinction worldwide.  Those that do qualify all volunteer to serve the Monarchy and it is seen as a great honour and a prestigious position to have reached in their career. 

Of these five regiments the Grenadier Guards is one of the oldest in the British Army. Its lineage can  be traced back to 1656. 

King Henry VII was the first monarch to make the Royal Body Guard a permanent fixture.  This was in 1485, after the Battle of Bosworth when he created the Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard.  This group are the oldest Royal bodyguards and also the oldest military corps in Britain.   Today they do not guard the palace but they can be seen at Buckingham Palace during investitures and Garden Parties.  They also take part in the State Opening of Parliament, coronations, lying-in-state and funerals of the Sovereign as well as other ceremonies and events.  They are instantly recognized by their red, white and yellow Tudor uniforms.  Note, although they look the same, they are not the same Yeomen who guard the Tower of London – these are Yeomen Warders. 

Changing of the Guard. 

When the first guards come on duty each morning there is a colourful and traditional ceremony called the Changing of the Guard (or more formally, Guard Mounting).  This is when one regiment of guards at the palace  hands over to the next regiment and it takes place on the Palace forecourt each day at 10.45, lasts around 45 minutes, with the actual handover between the guards happening at 11 a.m.  The ceremony is accompanied by military bands who play a mixture of traditional military music and more popular tunes. 

The route the guards take covers three locations:  Buckingham Palace, St. James’ Palace and Wellington Barracks in Bird Cage Walk.  Things begin to happen around 10.30.  The Old Guards at St. James’ Palace form up and begin their march down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.   Meanwhile, the Old Guards at Buckingham Palace are also forming up and both groups are now awaiting the New Guards to replace them.  At 10.40 these New Guards leave their barracks in Bird Cage Walk and march down this street to Buckingham Palace, arriving at 11 a.m. The ceremony of changing the guard and handing over the keys then takes place.  When this fascinating ritual is complete both groups of Old Guards march off to Wellington Barracks and a detachment of some of the New Guards march off to St. James’ Palace. 

Watching the ceremony either at Buckingham Palace or along the parade route is free of charge and no tickets or booking is needed.  As you can imagine then , it is a very popular event and finding a good place to watch it is often difficult.   Most people go to the Gates of Buckingham Palace but it is often too crowded and, although the Guards can be seen and the Band can be heard, not much actually happens for some time on the forecourt. 

Less crowded places to see the guards and hear the bands is along their routes.  St. James’ Palace is quite good if you don’t want to hang about too long but it, too, can be crowded as many tour guides use this location.   You could begin your morning here by taking some photographs of the proceedings and then going on to The Mall to see them marching past.   The nearest tube station to St. James’ Palace is Green Park.   If you go to The Mall you can get a good close-up view of the Guards as they march past.  It usually isn’t too crowded and there isn’t any railings or barriers between the road and the pavement so your view isn’t blocked. You could also then follow them to Buckingham Palace to see the ceremony from the Palace – however, you probably won’t be able to see the forecourt due to many the tourists gathered there. Another useful tip is to see them coming back up The Mall to St. James’ Palace – all this takes place from 11.10 to 11.45.  The nearest tube station to The Mall is either Green Park or Charing Cross. 

At Wellington Barracks you can see the New Guard forming up and being inspected ready for their march to Buckingham Palace.  They leave the barracks at 10.57 and you could follow them to the Palace or wait on The Mall to see the troops coming back.   The closest tube station to Wellington Barracks in Bird Cage Walk is St. James’ Park. 

In front of Buckingham Palace is the Victoria Memorial and from the steps of this memorial you get an elevated position to see the Guards and Bands arriving and a view of the ceremony on the Palace forecourt. Not surprisingly, this spot is the most popular so you need to get there in good time before the start of the proceedings. Also the crowds around the railings of the Palace may be obstructing your view. The closest tube station to the Palace is either St James’ Park or Green Park. 

Most people who come for the first time to see the Changing of the Guard tend to take up their position at the railings and gates of the Palace. Again, you must ensure you get there early to bag this spot. It is recommended to get there about one and a half hours before the start ! If you are lucky enough you will get a good view of the ceremony on the forecourt.  One of the downsides of this position however is that you miss the marches.  Trying to extract yourself from the crowds to catch the marches going back to the barracks or on towards St. James’ Palace is difficult. 

If you arrive late you could go to the Spur Road on the left facing the Palace to get a good view of the Bands and New Guards marching up Birdcage Walk although you won’t be able to see the forecourt ceremony. 

Wheelchair users will find the areas easy to navigate but the crowds a problem. Talking to one of the policemen on duty in front of the Palace gates can often result in being allowed to get to a position by the gates where more can be seen. 

One final note, wherever you decide to try and see this spectacular free show, make sure that you do not try to cross the road or get in the way of the marching Guards.  They will not stop nor move out of your way.   

Strange Facts

Intruders: Even though there are Guards at Buckingham Palace there have been at least two incidences where a member of the public has managed to break into the royal residence. The first incident was in 1840/1 when  a young teenager named Edward Jones broke into the palace, not once but three times!  He crept into the kitchens and stole food, found his way to Queen Victoria’s bedroom and stole some of her under garments and even once sat on the throne in the Throne Room.   The first time he did this in 1840  he managed to leave without being detected.  The second incident happened a couple of weeks later, when he was this time discovered and arrested.  His father pleaded that his son was insane and Edward Jones was sentenced to three months in a house of correction.  The third time was in 1841 when he was caught by the reinforced police force employed to guard the palace and he was sentenced to three months hard labour.  After this three additional palace guards were appointed.   

The second incident happened much more recently in 1982.  A 31 year-old painter and decorator called Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace twice.  The first time, in early June he was spotted by a housemaid who called security.  He managed to escape before being found by the guards but, prior to his discovery by the maid, he claims he had snacked on cheese and crackers, drunk half a bottle of white wine, viewed some portraits and had a sit-down on the throne.  His second break-in was a few weeks later in the early morning of 9th July. This time he quaffed several glasses of whisky before managing to enter into the sleeping Queen’s bedroom, who woke up and alerted the Palace police.   Apparently she twice phoned the palace switchboard for them but they did not come immediately and it was left to the duty footman, who had been walking the Queen’s corgis, to alert them and bring them to remove Fagan. A police investigation following this event was highly critical of the duty officers’ competence as well as of a system of confused and divided command.   Fagan was charged with the the theft of the wine rather than trespassing but all charges were later dropped when he was committed for psychiatric tests. 

War Stories:  During World War One, the reigning monarch, King George V, enforced rationing within the Palace which included locking the wine cellars and giving up the consumption of alcohol himself.  Over the course of World War Two, Buckingham Palace survived 9 bomb attacks. When a German bomb destroyed the Palace Chapel, footage of the destruction was played in all the cinemas throughout the country in order that the nation could see that the Monarch and his family were also suffering during the Blitz.  When sheltering from the air raids in the secret tunnels that run beneath Buckingham Palace,  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother discovered a man from Newcastle living in them.

Visiting Buckingham Palace and its Gardens

When the Queen is at one of her other residences the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors.  This is usually from the end of July to the end of September,  for a limited number of hours in December and January and at Easter time.   Tours of the 19 magnificent State Rooms takes around 2.5 hours and, for an extra fee, can be incorporated with a walk through the garden. 

Ticket Prices are: 

Adult Ticket £25.00 per ticket; Child Ticket £14.00 per ticket; Family Ticket £64.00 per ticket; Concession Ticket £22.80 per ticket. 
A Royal Day Out ticket is also available and gives admission to The State Rooms, The Royal Mews and The Queen’s Gallery: Adult £45.00 Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £40.00 Under 17 £24.50 Family £114.50.  Multimedia tours are included in the admission price.  

Garden visits are extra and you can wander around the sections of the garden that are open to the public at your own pace.  For a little extra money you can enjoy a picnic on the lawn with views of the back of the Palace. :  

Every Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Friday, 9 Jul 2021 – Sunday, 19 Sep 2021)
Adult £16.50; Over 60 £15.00; Student £15.00; Child (5-16) / Disabled £9.00; Under 5 Free
Family £42.00 (2 adults and up to 3 children)

If you are interested in taking a more in-depth look at the history and highlights of the garden, including the Rose Garden and wildflower meadow, guided tours are also available to purchase as an add-on when you book your ticket.

Queen’s Gallery:

Open every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Ticket prices are:  Adult £16.00; Over 60 £14.50; Student £12.00
Child (5-16) / Disabled £8.00; Under 5 Free; Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £40.00