This is a tour which included The State Rooms and the Royal Mews,The Queen's Gallery and a special exhibit of the toys and childhood item of Queen Elizabeth and other royal children.
Our ticket is for Sunday August 24th/2014. We had to be in position to begin our tour at exactly 1:00. Being late or being early is not acceptable.
Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official London residence and is used to receive and entertain guests on state, ceremonial and official occasions for the Royal Family. The palace was originally built in 1705 for the Duke of Buckingham.
The Palace is located between The Green Park, Hyde Park and St. James's Park.
The Palace today
Buckingham Palace is the working headquarters of the Monarchy, where The Queen carries out her official and ceremonial duties as Head of State of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh live in the private apartments on the north side of the Palace, while rooms on the upper floors of the north and east sides are occupied by other members of the Royal Family. Much of the ground floor and the south wing of the Palace are used by Household staff. The principal State Rooms used for court ceremonies and official entertaining occupy the main west block facing the gardens.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh live in the private apartments on the north side of the Palace, while rooms on the upper floors of the north and east sides are occupied by other members of the Royal Family. Much of the ground floor and the south wing of the Palace are used by Household staff. The principal State Rooms used for court ceremonies and official entertaining occupy the main west block facing the gardens.
State Rooms, Ballroom & Gardens
Buckingham Palace's 19 state rooms, ballroom and gardens are open to visitors during August and September.
The State rooms house some of the Royal family's greatest treasures including paintings and the finest French and English furniture. Visit the spectacular Palace Ballroom and tour the Palace gardens with views of the west front of the Palace and the lake.
A typical visit to the state rooms at Buckingham Palace lasts between 2 and 2 1/2 hours
10 Fun Facts about Buckingham Palace
- The Palace gets its name from an 18th-century Tory politician. John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby, was created Duke of Buckingham in 1703. He built Buckingham House for himself as a gr and London home. Buckingham Palace measures 108m across the front, 120m deep (including the Quadrangle) and 24m high.
- The Palace’s total floor area covers more than 77,000 square metres (just over 19 acres).
- There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace, including 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
- Electricity was first installed in the Ball Room in 1883, and between 1883 and 1887 electricity was extended throughout the Palace. There are about 40,000 lights in the building.
- There are more than 350 clocks and watches in the Palace, one of the largest collections of working clocks anywhere. Two full-time horological conservators wind them up every week and keep them in good working order.
- Several of the State Rooms were used for the Royal Wedding reception for the marriage of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
- Visiting heads of state occupy a suite of rooms at the Palace known as the Belgian suite, on the ground floor of the north-facing garden front
- More than 800 members of staff are based at the Palace. Their jobs range from housekeeping to horticulture, catering to correspondence. Some of the more unusual jobs include fendersmith, clockmaker and flagman.
- The balcony of Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous in the world. The first recorded Royal balcony appearance took place in 1851, when Queen Victoria stepped on to it during celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition.
- A flag always flies above Buckingham Palace. When The Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flies. When the Sovereign is not present, the Union Flag flies instead. A flag sergeant has the role of raising and lowering the right flag as The Queen arrives at or departs from the Palace.
The Royal Mews today
The Royal Mews is an important branch of the Lord Chamberlain's Office and provides road transport for The Queen and members of the Royal Family by both horse-drawn carriage and motor car. It is also one of the finest working stables still in existence, responsible for the training of the Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays, the horses that pull the royal carriages.
State vehicles are housed and maintained at the Royal Mews. They include the carriages used for royal and State occasions, such as State Visits, weddings and the State Opening of Parliament. Carriages from the Royal Mews are also used on roughly 50 occasions each year to convey newly appointed High Commissioners and Ambassadors from their official residence to Buckingham Palace to present their credentials to The Queen. Since 1843 the daily messenger Brougham has set out from the Royal Mews to collect and deliver post between Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace. The most dazzling of all coaches housed in the Royal Mews is the Gold State Coach, which has been used at every coronation since that of George IV in 1821. The latest coach to join the collection of royal coaches is The Diamond Jubilee State Coach which was built to commemorate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
State vehicles are housed and maintained at the Royal Mews. They include the carriages used for royal and State occasions, such as State Visits, weddings and the State Opening of Parliament. Carriages from the Royal Mews are also used on roughly 50 occasions each year to convey newly appointed High Commissioners and Ambassadors from their official residence to Buckingham Palace to present their credentials to The Queen. Since 1843 the daily messenger Brougham has set out from the Royal Mews to collect and deliver post between Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace. The most dazzling of all coaches housed in the Royal Mews is the Gold State Coach, which has been used at every coronation since that of George IV in 1821. The latest coach to join the collection of royal coaches is The Diamond Jubilee State Coach which was built to commemorate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation.
The Collection includes paintings, drawings and watercolours, furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewellery, books and manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armour, and textiles.
It largely consists of objects after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 although some items belonging to earlier monarchs are also included.
Only a small part of the collection is on display at any time . This year the display is of the toys used by the royal children.
The information said we were not to take pictures inside of the palace, so I cannot post lots of pictures for you to see but I do have a few of the outside.
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