Buckingham Palace - London Travel Sights

Surely, your trip to London would not be complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace, the home of the royal family. Buckingham Palace is located in central London, close to Hyde Park, and it is a building which is sure to impress you.

The Palace was build in the eighteenth century, but has had many buildings added to it since then. It did not actually become the royal family’s official home until 1850. Previously the role of Britain's monarchy official residences was played by The Tower of London, Westminster, Whitehall, Kensington and St. James's. And eventually Buckingham Palace became the residence, due to accession of Queen Victoria.

Today it is still the official residence of the Monarch. Furthermore, it is one of only working royal palaces left in the world. If you see that Royal Standard flying outside, it means that the Queen is at home.

The front part of the building is made of grey marble and is on four levels. It has very large windows, and a huge balcony at the front, where the royal family greets the crowds on special occasions. There is a magnificent garden with a small lake at the back of the palace, surrounded by high walls and tall iron railings. The garden is home to 30 species of birds plus 350 varieties of wildflowers.

The interior of Buckingham Palace can now be seen by the public and is luxuriously decorated. Altogether, the palace has 600 rooms, and three miles of red carpets covering the floors. The rooms are large, spacious and filled with valuable antiques, as well as priceless paintings by artists such as Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Poussin, Canova and Vermeer that have been passed down through generations of kings and queens of England. Nevertheless, it is neither an art gallery nor a museum.

The Palace was opened to tourists for the first time in 1993. Despite many official events and receptions held by The Queen, every year visitors can explore the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.

Don’t forget that you need to have an official invitation to visit the palace. However, some of it is open for visiting when the royal family has a vacation outside London, usually in August and September. You need to buy a timed-entrance ticket exactly the same day you plan to visit the palace. Tickets go on sale at 9am, and there is a lot of tourists here, because this is one of the most favorite places to see in London.

While visiting Buckingham Palace, don’t miss its most famous spectacle, the Changing of the Guard. It is famous throughout the world. Every London visitor must see it! There are four Foot Guards at the front of the building, if The Queen is home. There are only two, if she is away. The new guard, marching behind a band, takes over from the old guard in the forecourt of the palace. The ceremony begins at 11:30 am. It is, however, frequently canceled because of bad weather, state events, and for other reasons.

All in all, Buckingham Palace is a really fascinating building that should certainly not be missed by any London traveler. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the city, have no doubt - it will give you a genuine ‘royal feeling’.

Buckingham Palace: a place that should not be missed in London