Buckingham Palace London has served as the official residence of English sovereigns since 1837 and today Buckingham Palace is the administrative seat of the monarch. Although used for the many official events and receptions hosted by the Queen of England, the State Halls at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors each summer..
Buckingham Palace in London
Buckingham Palace London has 775 rooms. These rooms include 19 State Rooms, 52 Royal and Guest Bedrooms, 188 Queen’s Staff Rooms, 92 Offices and 78 Bathrooms. As for the measures, the palace is 108 meters long in the front, 120 meters deep (including the central quadrilateral) and 24 meters in height..
Buckingham Palace London from the outside
History of Buckingham Palace London
King George III purchased Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife the Raine Charlotte to use as a comfortable family home near St. James Palace where many judicial functions were held. Buckingham House then became known as the ‘Queen’s House’ and 14 of George III’s 15 children were born there.
George IV, on his accession in 1820, decides to rebuild the house in a pied-à-terre, using for the same purposes as his father, George III.
Buckingham Palace in the past
As the work of the household progressed at the end of 1826, the king changed his mind. With the help of his architect John Nash, he begins to transform the house into a palace. The English parliament agrees on a budget of £ 150,000, but the king insists on the sum of £ 450,000 which he says is a more realistic figure. John Nash retains the main block but doubles its size by adding a new suite of rooms on the garden side to the west. With a plush Bath stone facade, the exterior styling reflects the French neoclassical influence favored by George IV. The remodeled rooms are state chambers and semi-state chambers that remain virtually unchanged since Nash’s time.
Reconstruction of the Palace by John Nash
The north and south wings of the house of Buckingham were demolished and rebuilt larger with a triumphal arch – the Arch of Marble as the centerpiece of an enlarged courtyard to commemorate the British victories at Trafalgar and Waterloo.
In 1829 the costs had increased by almost a million pounds sterling. Nash’s extravagance cost him his job, and when George IV died in 1830, his younger brother William IV commissioned Edward Blore to finish the job. The King never moved into Buckingham Palace London. In fact when the Houses of Parliament were destroyed by fire in 1834, the king offered the palace as a new building for the parliament but the offer was not accepted..
The Coronation of Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to take up residence in 1837 and in June 1838 she was the first British sovereign who left Buckingham Palace for her coronation. His marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 very quickly showed the shortcomings of the Palace.
A serious problem for the newlyweds was the lack of a baby room and the lack of a few rooms for visitors. The only solution then was to relocate the Marble Arch and it is now in the northeast corner of Hyde Park. Four wings were then built creating a quadrilateral. The cost of the new wings largely covered the belly of George IV’s Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Blora added a mansard floor to the main palace block and decorated it on the outside with marble friezes originally intended for the Marble Arch. The work was completed in 1847. By the turn of the century, the French stone used by Blore for the eastern front began to show signs of deterioration largely due to the notorious soot in London and needed repair. replaced.
In 1913 a decision was taken to redo the facade. Sir Aston Webb with a large number of public buildings to his credit was commissioned to create a new design. Webb chose from Portland Stone, which took 12 months to prepare before work on the building could begin. When labor finally began, it took 13 weeks to complete the process which included the removal of the ancient stone..
The palace’s current forecourt, where the changing of the guard takes place, was established in 1911 as part of the Victoria Memorial program. The gates and balustrades were also finished in 1911. The north-central gate is today the daily entrance to the palace, while the central gate is used for state occasions and the departure of the guard after the changing. of the guard. The work was completed just before the start of World War I in 1914.
Buckingham Palace today
Today Buckingham Palace is primarily a working building and the centerpiece of Britain’s constitutional monarchy. It acts as a venue for many royal events and ceremonies such as entertaining foreign heads of state or celebrating achievements at investitures and receptions..
More than 50,000 people visit the palace each year as guests at state banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and receptions in the garden. Her Majesty also holds weekly audiences with the Prime Minister and receives newly appointed foreign ambassadors at Buckingham Palace.
Receptions are held at the palace throughout the year to recognize the work of industry, government, charities, sport, the Commonwealth and many other aspects of the life of the country. For example in 2013 the Queen held a reception to celebrate the Commonwealth, Youth and Education attended by 350 guests from academic institutions around the world and included a performance by the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and her choral. Most recently in 2015, Her Majesty hosted a reception for players, organizers and supporters of the Rugby World Cup. Buckingham Palace is often the mayoress piece of significant national celebrations and commemorations.
In 2002, a music concert was put on in the garden of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee which included an unforgettable ‘GOd save the Queen’ performance by Brian May from the roof of the palace. On Her Majesty’s 60th birthday in 2012, members of the public were invited to have a special picnic in the palace garden.
The balcony of Buckingham Palace London is one of the most famous balconies in the world. The first recorded appearance on the Royal Balcony was in 1851, when Queen Victoria intervened there during the celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition. Since then, the appearances at the Royal Balcony have marked many occasions such as the official Queen’s birthday celebrations..
While Buckingham Palace is seen as an administrative center of the Monarchy, it is also a family home in addition to holding the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews. The Queen gave birth to Prince Charles and Prince Andrew at the palace and to this day notices of royal births and deaths are still attached to the gates in front of the palace for members of the public to read. The christenings of the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and Prince William have taken place in the Music Hall and many royal weddings have been celebrated at Buckingham Palace and more recently that of the Duke and Duchess from Cambridge.
The offices of those who support the daily activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate families, such as the Office of the Private Secretary and the Private Stock Exchange and Treasurer’s Office, are also located at the Palace of Buckingham.
A tour inside Buckingham Palace London
Every room inside Buckingham Palace that the Queen shares with her husband Prince Philip is truly breathtaking.
The yellow living room
People who run the Royal Family’s official Instagram page say the yellow living room will be undergoing a complete overhaul to make way for vital plumbing and electrical work. The Instagram post showed a short video in which the wallpaper, an antique first purchased by King George, in the Yellow Room was removed for preservation..
The main corridor
The Royal Family’s Twitter account showed a before and after photo of the main hallway leading to the balcony, having removed all items before the renovation. The post says it included over 3000 pieces of art.
The private courtroom
If you are fortunate enough to be invited for a private audience with the Queen of England, the audience will be held in the Private Audience Room inside Buckingham Palace London. With pale yellow walls and dark wood floors, the room has a more modern appearance than some of the other rooms and Her Majesty’s family photographer can often be seen in the background as she greets her guests..
The regency room
This beautiful piece has been included in many of the Queen’s official photos, as well as in her TV appearances for Christmas. The regency room has a color scheme in green and gold with tassel sofas, a desk, and a traditional fireplace.
The balcony
One of the iconic parts of Buckingham Palace is the balcony which is located in the front of the residence and which is used by royals during special events including royal weddings..
Palace gardens
The Queen of England welcomes more than 30,000 guests each year to her summer parties which are set in the sprawling gardens behind Buckingham Palace. The garden covers over 39 acres and contains over 350 types of wildflowers, around 200 trees, and a three-acre lake.
The Grand Staircase
One of the first things guests at the palace see when they enter is the Grand Staircase that leads up to the State Chambers upstairs. A red carpet lines the staircase, while historical portraits of members of the royal family hang on the walls making a very dramatic first impression.
The Palace Ballroom
The palace ballroom is the location for state banquets and has very high ceilings, bright red carpets, and large art paintings on the walls. The ballroom is also used for investiture ceremonies held by the Queen and other senior royals including the Duke of Cambridge.
The 1844 room
One of the 19 State Chambers inside the Palace, Room 1844 is often used by Her Majesty when hosting audiences with world leaders and other prestigious guests. The large bedroom has stupendous marble columns and gold mirrors on the walls with traditional patterned rugs and blue and gold chairs.
The music room
Although known as the Music Room and has a piano, the Music Room at Buckingham Palace has actually been the site of some historic royal events including the christenings of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince william.
The throne room
One of the iconic rooms of Buckingham Palace, the Throne Room is used for balls, investitures, official wedding photos after the wedding of Prince William and Kate.
The photo gallery
Designed by architect John Nash as during the transformation of Buckingham Palace by George IV in 1820, the 47-meter photo gallery displays the King’s art collection, but he failed to see it finished. The art gallery now exhibits the best works of art from the Royal Collection in rotation with many works dating from the 17th century.
The white living room
This intimate white room is regularly used by the Queen for small meetings and audiences. You can also recognize the clean room from Her Majesty’s Christmas broadcasts and family photos. The Queen enters the room through a hidden door that is disguised as a mirror before receiving her guests, confirms the royal family website.
The state dining room
This historic room is used during the reception at Prince William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. The room is decorated with red wallpaper and red carpets and has lots of windows that overlook the beautiful palace garden.
