The Buckingham Palace London is one of London’s symbols. The Queen of England still lives here, with the rest of the British Monarchy, but the building is still a point of interest for every tourists who arrives in the United Kingdom.
The Buckingham Palace London
When I was in London, I knew from the beginning I want to go to see the Buckingham Palace London and, if it is possible, also to see the change of guards. We went to it by walking from the Hyde Park, and it was quite a pleasure. We walked on the long Buckingham Boulevard, and in those 10 minutes we became more excited to see the place than ever. And we knew we are almost there, because the street god suddenly full of tourists.
The Buckingham Boulevard
Unfortunately, we were a little bit late and didn’t manage to see the change of guards, but, on the other hand, it was better, because the place wasn’t that crowded. I mean, the Buckingham Palace London is always crowded, but we managed to go close to the gates and admire the already famous palace’s guards.
The famous guards of the Buckingham Palace London
However, since it is still in use, the palace was closed for tourists, and I’ve heard there are some special occasions when you can visit it, so think about it when you are planning your next trip to London. I know for sure that the State rooms are opened from July till September, so probably that is the only chance to visit it. In the end, we don’t want to disturb The Queen, right?
The statue in front of the Buckingham Palace London
Right in front of the palace, you can admire a beautiful monument of Queen Victoria, with a golden statue on the top, and a beautiful water fountain around it. The memorial is dedicated to Queen Victoria – she reigned between 1837 and 1901. The central point of it is the golden statue that represents the “Victory”, with two small statues around it, the “Courage” and the “Constancy”. On one sides of the statue you can admire Queen Victoria.
The entire monument, which has 25 meters, was designed by the same architect who designed the Buckingham Palace London, Sir Aston Webb. Bellow it, you ca read the words “Victoria, Regina Imperatrix”, which can be translated as “Victoria, Queen and Emperor”.
Detail from the statue with The Queen
After spending some time around the palace, we were lucky enough to see the guards moving. It wasn’t the official ceremony, it was just a simple patrol, but it was still exciting and very interesting to watch it, so I recommend you to stay until you see the “show”.
Here are some must know things about the Buckingham Palace London, you should read before visiting it:
- The palace was built in 1705 as the town house of the Duke of Buckingham, and since 1837 it became the official London residence of the British Monarchy.
- The Buckingham Palace London has 775 rooms: 19 states rooms, 92 offices, 52 royal and guest rooms, 188 staff bedroom, and 78 bathrooms. There are more than 1.500 doors inside the palace, and around 760 windows.
- You can check if The Queen is at palace: a flag indicating “The Queen is here!” will be visible atop it.
- The famous Buckingham Palace London Changing of Guards is a time-honored ceremony, very complex. It is a long tradition of the monarchy, and there is a long story about it.
Between the gates you can admire the guards of the Buckingham Palace London
- As I said before, the palace can be visited only between July and September. However, once in a while there are offered exclusive guided tour, so I recommend you to check the website once in a while. Inside the Palace Buckingham London you can admire the Royal Collection, which includes works of Vermeer, Rembrandt, and many other famous painters. There is also the Queen’s Gallery, which includes a variety of art exhibitions; it can be visited all year long.
- The guards of the palace are real soldiers, not simply symbolic figures, so you should definitely show some respect.
- You can choose the Palace Buckingham London as a starting point for a great day in London, or as the ending one, if you prefer to see it when there are not so many tourists around.
The Buckingham Palace is closed to the public most of the time
Even if you don’t manage to go inside the palace, do not get sad. There are a lot of things to see in London, and from the palace, you can easily reach Hyde Park, the river Thames, the famous Big Ben, the Trafalgar Square, the Piccadilly Square, St. James’ Palace, and many more. All within walking distance, so have fun!
