Unspecified/General

Buckingham Palace, the official London residence and administrative headquarters of the British monarch, is among the most recognised buildings in the world and a focal point for national celebration and ceremony. The palace began as a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in the early eighteenth century, was acquired by the crown and progressively enlarged, and became the principal royal residence in London on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Its famous east front, the facade most familiar from photographs, was added in the early twentieth century and provides the backdrop to the balcony from which the royal family appears on great occasions such as jubilees, weddings and the annual Trooping the Colour. Behind the well-known frontage lie hundreds of rooms, including the lavishly decorated State Rooms used for official entertaining, which are opened to the public during the late summer when the monarch is traditionally away. Visitors touring these rooms encounter works from the Royal Collection by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto, along with fine furniture, porcelain and the throne room, before passing through the extensive garden. Outside the railings, the Changing of the Guard, performed by soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin caps, draws crowds throughout much of the year and ranks among the capital's most popular free spectacles. Tickets for the State Rooms are timed and best booked online in advance for the limited summer season, and the palace and its surroundings remain a magnet for visitors from every corner of the world throughout the year across every season of the calendar. Beyond the State Rooms, the wider estate includes the Royal Mews, where the historic coaches and horses used in ceremonial processions are kept, and the gallery that displays rotating exhibitions of treasures from the Royal Collection, both open to visitors for much of the year. The palace continues to function as a working royal headquarters, hosting investitures, receptions and garden parties, so a visit offers a glimpse into an institution that is at once a historic monument and a living centre of national life. For many travellers, watching the guard change beyond the famous railings and gazing up at the balcony so familiar from great state occasions forms an essential part of any first visit to the capital.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Westminster, London, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 303 123 7300

Website: https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace

Opening Date: 01/01/1837