Buckingham Palace has been proclaimed the official residence of Britain's monarchs. Today it is occupied by Queen Elizabeth II. In which city was Buckingham Palace built? This is known to many - in London. Buckingham Palace is located opposite Green Park and The Mall and is considered one of the most famous attractions. Its distinguishing feature is the gilded monument to Queen Victoria located in front of the building.
The history of the palace
The first mention of the world-famous palace appeared in 1703. At that time, the country house of the Duke of Buckingham - John Sheffield was located on this site. He was in those days at a sufficient distance from London. Taking on a new position, Sheffield decided to build a compact palace for his family. It was originally called Buckingham House. ATlater on, his appearance changed several times.
In 1762, the palace was purchased by King George III. He decided to make it his private residence. The building has been rebuilt and expanded. Its facade was somewhat simplified, and the king ordered the construction of a library for his valuable collection of books. In addition to this, he transferred from other palaces to this place a huge amount of works of art. He also purchased excellent paintings by Italian artists.
In 1825, the famous architect John Nash began to rebuild the building for the monarch George IV. He arranged a large yard in front of him. This led to the fact that it immediately began to be considered a rich country palace, which fits perfectly into the surrounding parks.
Majestic symbol of the kingdom
In 1837, Buckingham Palace was officially declared the principal residence of Britain's monarchs. At that time, Queen Victoria took the throne. She gave instructions to build another extension and move the main entrance, Marble Arch, to where it is now (near Orators' Corner in Hyde Park). In addition, a large round square was arranged in front of the residence, and a monument to Queen Victoria herself was erected in the center of it. During her reign, Buckingham Palace in the UK became a symbol of the kingdom.
In 1846, the architect Edward Blore added a structure to the building, which connected it to the courtyard from the street side. This gave the royal residence a completely new look. Some researchershowever, they consider it a slightly ridiculous structure. Once again, the palace was modified in 1913. After that, the eastern one was considered its main facade. It was slightly modified by the architect Aston Webb. To some, this new facade will seem somewhat gloomy and boring, but it is he who is best known to residents of London and guests of the capital.
Features of the royal residence
This palace is one of the largest and most impressive buildings in London. Inside, there are more than 700 rooms, impressive with their rich interior and decoration. Among the wide variety of rare valuables found in the palace are paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt, antique furniture, as well as French porcelain. It is noteworthy that this palace looks like a separate state. After all, it has its own personal cinema, hospital and police, as well as a huge swimming pool and a chic ballroom.
The ground floor of the royal Buckingham Palace is decorated with columns of the Doric order of classical architecture. But the upper floor is decorated in the style of the Corinthian order. On the main facade of the building, several artistic figures are installed on both sides.
Ceremonial halls are designed specifically for official ceremonies and receptions. They are located along the same axis, that is, they are sequentially adjacent to each other. The Green Living Room is considered the central one. It was in it that delegations gathered before visiting the monarch.
The Throne Room continues the green living room. Through it, visitors pass to the Art Gallery. She isis the largest room in Buckingham Palace. In 1914, this gallery was completely redone. The changes affected the roof and lighting system.
Palace Gardens
Quite unexpectedly, from a wide room with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, guests enter a delightful garden. It looks like heaven. There is a lake with islands, waterfalls, flowering plants, neat lawns and even pink flamingos. Its territory is 17 hectares. This is the largest private garden in London. The only distraction here from solitude is the sound of helicopters that systematically fly around the residence. Three times a year, a solemn tea party with the queen is organized in the garden. The event is attended by about 10 thousand guests. For the sake of ordinary people, Queen Elizabeth II canceled the dress code. The only thing that is forbidden is to bare your shoulders and wear black clothes. Guests are offered tea, small red caviar sandwiches, chocolate cakes and biscuits.
Palace security
The residence is guarded by the Court Division. Every day at half past twelve the changing of the guard takes place. But this is only from April to August. In other months, it is held every other day. This is practically the most famous ceremony in London. It attracts the attention of a large number of tourists. Guardsmen, dressed in impeccable traditional uniforms, march strictly toe-to-toe. Changing each other at the post, they each time attract a large number of people who want to see this ritual.
Free visit to the residence
Only for August and September, the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace. At this time, it is available for free visiting. But not all rooms have access, but only 19 of them. Others are considered the personal space of the royal family. By the way, if Elizabeth II is present in the palace, then a distinctive flag must be placed above the main facade. For the first time the palace opened its doors to guests and tourists in 1993. Since that time, every year a huge number of people come on excursions. But the reason for its discovery for tourists was the fire that occurred in 1992 at Windsor Castle. It was decided to raise money for its restoration.
Available rooms for tourists
Many travelers have legitimate questions: is it possible to visit the palace and see its luxury from the inside? Which halls and rooms in it are available for visiting, and which are not? Guests have free access to the Grand Dining Room at Buckingham Palace. Her long table, made of mahogany, can accommodate 600 people around her at one time. In the middle of the dining room there is a very large portrait of King George IV. The height of this canvas is about three meters. On both sides are portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte. They are written by A. Ramsey. There are also other portraits. The White Drawing Room has become the latest for visitors to Buckingham Palace. The white and gold hues of her interior are reminiscent of gold coins.
Interesting facts aboutBuckingham Palace
What else attracts thousands of tourists in this place of the English capital? Many believe that, like many other significant places, there are secrets at Buckingham Palace. Here are some interesting facts.
For example, you can hear stories that on the eve of Christmas, a ghost in the clothes of a monk, and hung with chains, moves around the chambers of the royal Buckingham Palace. Where he came from, no one knows. But there is a rumor that it exists there from the very foundation of the palace and most of the courtiers saw it with their own eyes. And then there are those who are absolutely convinced that this palace is not able to leave the spirit of George III. He appears from time to time near the windows, since while still alive, the monarch was waiting for couriers from Hanover. It was at that time that he died.
Buckingham Palace has another interesting secret: one of the chests of drawers can be pushed aside. Hidden behind it is a secret door that the queen sometimes uses to go out to guests. Many other secrets are not yet available to tourists.
During the Second World War, Buckingham Palace was a very tempting target for shelling, because George VI and Elizabeth did not agree to leave their residence. Bombs hit the building nine times. One of them destroyed the Clock Tower.
The balcony of Buckingham Palace is the most famous. It became famous when Queen Victoria walked out on it on the opening day of the 1851 World's Fair. And George VI introduced the custom of appearing with the whole family on the balcony during the parade.
Who lives in the residence?
With the exception of members of the royal family, Buckingham Palace (UK) has an additional 800 staff members. They maintain order and cleanliness in the premises. There is even a man in the palace who works as a watchmaker. He is required to monitor more than 350 hours every day. They must go at the same time.
It is known that Queen Elizabeth II has been partial to Corgi dogs all her life. They are allowed to move everywhere, even go into any room. Monarch pets are looked after by dedicated staff.
Travel Information
Many tourists come to the palace just to be photographed in front of it. This can be done all year round. At the same time, most likely, there will be an opportunity to visit the gallery and stables, as well as look at the changing of the guard. You can get to the residence by metro. All subway lines have stations in the area where Buckingham Palace is located, literally a five-minute walk from it.
Most tourists have a lasting impression of what they see. Firstly, the perfectly practiced changing of the guard and the luxurious rooms of the royal Buckingham Palace have not left a single guest indifferent. For this reason alone, it absolutely must be added to the list of must-see places. Indeed, at least once in your life you can visit here to enjoy the beauty of thisPalace.
