London It has many attractions as it is a historical and very cosmopolitan city, but without a doubt if yours is royalty you cannot miss a view of the Buckingham Palace. The elegant Buckingham Palace.
Is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II in the city and also, it is one of the few royal palaces in Europe to be inhabited today. Of course, not everything is open to the public, but enough to make a visit to London something special.
Buckingham Palace
The palace is in westminster and its oldest part dates from the beginning of the 1700s. It was not until the end of that century that King George III bought the property to turn it into the private residence of Queen Charlotte and thus it was renamed the Queen's House.
The first important modifications, in terms of size, were made in the XNUMXth century: three wings appeared around a central courtyard and thus the now palace became the residence of the English monarch after the assumption of the throne of Queen Victoria in 1837. During the time that her husband, Prince Albert, lived, the palace was alive, it was conditioned and became a house of balls and events, but at his death the queen left and the palace went through years of neglect.
But what is Buckingham Palace like? Have 108 meters wide by 120 meters deep and 24 meters high. A total of 77 thousand square meters of surface, smaller than other known palaces such as the Royal Palace of Madrid or the Quirinal Palace in Rome. Have 775 rooms between offices, bathrooms, bedrooms and state rooms, post office, operating room, jewelry workshop, swimming pool and cinema.
Around the palace there is a vast garden with lake included. It is the largest private garden in London and is where the royal summer parties take place. Have 16 hectares in total and of course, it includes a helipad and a tennis court.
In the garden and next to the palace you find the royal carriages, the Royal Mews and the Mall is distinguished, an approach route to the palace that was completed in 1911 as art of a memorial to Queen Victoria, which crosses the Saint James Park and arrives at the Victoria Memorial with elegance. Every summer in July, thousands of people are invited to participate in the garden parties and it is also here that you can see the popular Changing of the Guard, every day between April and July.
Visit Buckingham Palace
All the State Rooms of the palace open to the public for ten weeks every summer: from July 20 to September 29, 2019, for example), and some specially selected days in winter and spring.
What spaces can be visited within these rooms? The White Drawing Room, the Throne Room, the Portrait Gallery, the Ballroom, the Grand Staircase, the garden, and besides, the Changing of the Guard.
The State Rooms are the public rooms in which the queen and the royal family receive their visitors on official occasions. There are 19 rooms They are decorated according to George IV and built by John Nash in his transformation from the residence into a palace in the XNUMXth century. There are works of art everywhere.
El White Drawing Room It is one of the largest classrooms and it functions as a official receptions. Its décor comes mostly from the Carlton Residence and there are many Sèvres porcelains in white and blue. There is a Riesener desk believed to have belonged to one of Louis XV's daughters, a hearth with a portrait of Queen Alexandra, and an Erard piano. Is beautiful. There is also the Gallery of Artworks, 47 meters, with many works by Canaletto, Van Dyck, and Rubens.
La Hall of the Throne it also has John Nash's signature: there are a couple of thrones, the State Chairs, used for the coronation of the queen and her husband in 1953, and also chairs that were at other coronations and himself throne of Queen Victoria. El Dance room It is huge and was completed in 1855. Official meals take place here today but it includes the thrones on which King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were crowned in 1902.
La Grand Staircase it is the access road to the State Rooms. It was also designed by John Nash taking inspiration from London theaters. There are many portraits of Queen Victoria's family at the top and it is shocking. The Palace Garden is also open in summer, although if you visit in the late evening it is not open to the public. You can sign up for a special tour to get to know it better because it has 16 hectares.
El changing of the guard it is a convoking show that takes place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday during the summer. In order not to miss it, you can visit the website of the British army because outside the summer there are other days and times.
On the other hand is the Royal Mews, the royal garage where are the cars and carriages. This site open from February to November every year and you will be able to see the golden carriage, the horses, the princely carriage that was used in the royal jubilee, the traditional clothes and even get on a carriage and take a photo. In addition, there is a souvenir shop with toys, books and stuffed animals.
Finally, at Buckingham Palace you can also visit the Gallery of the Queens with paintings, rare furniture, decorative objects and an incredible and large collection of photographs. This year a special exhibition dedicated to Leonardo Da Vinci, between May 24 and October 13. As 500 years have passed since his death, there are about 200 of his drawings, forming the most important exhibition of Leonardo in the last 65 years.
Practical information for visiting Buckingham Palace
- There are different types of ticket. The parakeet per adult is 24 pounds, children under five years do not pay and then there are family tickets (two adults and three children), for 61 pounds. Children up to 50 years pay 16 pounds.
- How to get there: you can do it by train or metro.