Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the home and offices of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the Queen of England. The Royal standard can be seen when the Queen is in residence.

Buckingham Palace is the venue for ceremonial occasions. The Palace was built in 1702 and is the former home of the Duke of Buckingham, it was bought from the Duke by George III.

In the nineteenth century George IV commissioned John Nash to transform the house into a Palace who overspent hugely on the project and was removed from the upgrade.

Queen Victoria was the first Monarch to live in Buckingham Palace, the Palace has been the residence of the monarchy ever since. Victoria sold the Royal Pavilion in Brighton to fund a huge expansion during the mid eighteen-hundreds.

Every autumn, when the royal family are away from the Palace, the State Rooms are open to the public. The rooms were first opened in 1993 to raise funds for Windsor Castle after it was damaged by fire.

The Royal Throne room is lit by seven chandeliers and is used only for ceremonial purposes. Buckingham Palace is close to St. James Park, which offers spectacular views at night. Visitors may also wish to watch the changing of the guard- a musical, military ceremony which takes place at 11:30am and lasts for approximately forty-five minutes.