Buckingham Palace

T official London residence Queen, several royal palaces London. Op tours during summer months only, - sight y don't g .

Buckingham Palace official London residence British monarch. T palace setting state occasions royal entertaining, major tourist attraction. I rallying point British people times national rejoicing crisis.

Originally known Buckingham House, building forming today's palace large townhouse built D Buckingham 1703 acquired y George III 1761 private residence, known "T Queen's House". I enlarged x 75 years, principally y architects J N Edward Blore, forming three wings around central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became official royal palace British monarch accession Queen Victoria 1837. T major structural additions 19 early 20 century, including present-y public Buckingham Palace. T building occasionally still referred "Buck House".

T original early 19-century interior designs, y which still survive, included widespread brightly coloured scagliola p lapis, advice S Charles Lg. Kg Edward VII oversaw partial redecoration Belle epoque cream g colour scheme. My smaller reception rooms furnished Chinese regency style furniture fittings brought Royal Pavilion Brighton Carlton House following death Kg George IV. T Buckingham Palace Garden largest private garden London, originally landscaped y Capability Brown, redesigned y William Townsend Aiton K Gardens J N. T artificial completed 1828 supplied water Serpentine, Hy P.

T state rooms nucleus working Palace regularly y Queen Elizabeth II members royal family official state entertaining. Buckingham Palace world's familiar buildings 50,000 people visit palace y guests banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions royal garden parties.

T Palace Interior

T palace contains 77,000 square metres floorspace (828,818 square ). T principal rooms palace contained piano nobile behind -facing garden facade palace. T centre ornate suite state rooms Music Room, large dominant feature facade. Flanking Music R B White Drawing rooms. A centre suite, serving corridor state rooms, Picture Gallery, which p 55 yards (50 ) g. T Gallery g numerous works including y Rembrandt, Dyck, Rubens, Vermeer, other rooms leading Picture Gallery Throne Green Drawing R. T Green Drawing serves g anteroom Throne Room, p ceremonial route throne Guard R p Grand staircase. T Guard R contains white marble statues Queen Victoria Prince Albert, Roman costume tribune lined tapestries. These y formal rooms y ceremonial official entertaining, p public every summer.

Directly underneath State Apartments suite slightly grand rooms known -state apartments. Opening marble hall, these rooms -formal entertaining, luncheon parties private audiences. S rooms named decorated particular visitors, 1844 Room, which decorated y State visit Emperor Nicholas I Russia, , other B Room, 1855 R. A centre suite B Room, through which thousands guests p annually Queen's Garden Parties Gardens beyond. T Queen privately smaller suite rooms North g.

Between 1847 1850, Blore building wing, Brighton Pavilion again plundered fittings. A result y rooms g distinctly oriental atmosphere. T Chinese Luncheon R p parts Brighton banqueting music rooms, chimney piece, Brighton, design Indian Chinese. T Yellow Drawing R 18 century paper, which supplied 1817 Brighton Saloon, chimney piece European vision Chinese equivalent would like, complete nodding mandarins niches fearsome winged dragons.

A centre g famous balcony, Centre R behind glass doors. T Chinese-style saloon enhanced y Queen My working designer S Charles Allom created "binding" Chinese theme 1920s, although lacquer doors brought Brighton 1873. Running length piano nobile g great gallery, modestly known Principal Corridor which length eastern quadrangle I mirrored doors, mirrored cross walls reflecting porcelain pagodas other oriental furniture Brighton. T Chinese Luncheon R Yellow Drawing R situated gallery, Centre R obviously placed centre.

Visiting heads state today, staying palace, occupy suite rooms known Belgian suite, which ground floor North-facing garden front. These rooms, corridors enhanced y saucer domes, first decorated Prince Albert's uncle Léopold I, first Kg Belgians. Edward VIII lived these rooms during short reign.

W Expect Today

Today, Buckingham Palace y weekday Queen Prince Philip London residence D Y E Countess Wessex. T palace houses offices Royal Household workplace 450 people.

Every y 50,000 invited guests entertained garden parties, receptions, audiences, banquets. T Garden Parties, usually three, summer, usually Jy. T Forecourt Buckingham Palace Changing Guard, major ceremony tourist attraction (daily during summer months; every other y during winter).

T palace technically monarch's property; Windsor Castle Buckingham Palace their collections trust successors nation. T furnishings, paintings, fittings other artefacts, y Fabergé, Buckingham Palace Windsor Castle known collectively Royal Collection; owned y nation, y viewed y public. T Queen's Gallery Royal M p y displays changing selection items collection. T rooms containing Queen's Gallery former chapel, which damaged y seven bombs palace during World W II. T palace's state rooms p public during August September since 1993. T money raised entry originally p towards rebuilding Windsor Castle following 1992 which destroyed y state rooms.

Thus, Buckingham Palace symbol British monarchy, gallery tourist attraction. Behind gilded railings gates which y Bromsgrove Guild Webb's famous facade which described looking "like everybody's palace" large staff employed y Royal Household p Britain's constitutional monarchy functioning.

Buckingham Palace features prominent p London charity raising events London marathon British 10K summer.