London Travel: Buckingham Palace
If you are considering a trip to London, you must visit Buckingham palace. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions. It remains the official home of the noble monarchy including the Queen and has been since the early 1800’s.
The palace was originally constructed for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 1700’s. The house is designed around a courtyard and has 3 wings. The house was expanded after George the III purchased it.
In the early 1900’s major modifications were done to add a formal ballroom, extra bedrooms for visitors, and other additional rooms such as a nursery.
Most of the palace is open to visitors daily, and approximately 40,000 guests as well as invitees visit the palace annually. The palace is comprised of office and residential areas.
During late Summer and Fall, the state rooms are open to visitors. Throughout the year, various rooms are open to the public for viewing. The building is a pleasure in and of itself but, there are also crowned jewels, furniture and luxurious décor.
The Queens gallery contains unbelievable original paintings done by Rubens, Vermeer and other great artists. In the Royal Mews, there are ever changing works of art on display year round and are a spectacle to see and admire!
While at the Royal Mews, which has stables, which are a must see! A three ton coach with 6-8 horses is used for special events for coronations and balls.
The Royal garden is at least 30 acres, and provides a peaceful walk with breath taking flowers and a gorgeous view of the lake.
The Palace has been guarded since the 1600’s and I am sure you have heard of the changing of the guard. It is formally known as the Guard Mount and their job is to protect the palace. Although the actual changing of the guard is a spectacle in and of itself. The well rehearsed event is meticulously done religiously at the same time every day. Spectators come from across the world to view the changing of the guard.
The band performs a traditional march as the guards replace each other and man their post. There are four other guards that stand at the front of the building. If the Queen is away, there are only two guards present.
The guards are trained to be attentive and are not distracted by others. Although there are attempts to gain their attention, they do not succeed. The guards wear a red tunic and an animal skin outfit. It is an honor to guard the Queen and whomever mans the post realizes they have a lofty order that they easily obey and take pride in.
The ceremony begins at approximately 11:15 in the morning and takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. It is an unforgettable event and one that you should observe if you travel to London.
Dating back over ten centuries, the Monarchy plays an important role in the UK and Commonwealth. This web site provides information on the work of The Queen in modern society, biographies of the Royal Family, a history of kings and queens through the ages, background on Royal residences and art collections, and coverage of recent Royal events.
CHANGING THE GUARD
The regular hand-over of guards in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace draws thousands of visitors to watch the soldiers and listen to the music.
Known as Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting, the process involves a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard.
The soldiers are drawn from one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards.
The handover is accompanied by a Guards band. The music played ranges from traditional military marches to songs from the shows and even familiar pop songs.
When The Queen is in residence, there are four sentries at the front of the building. When she is away there are two.
The Queen's Guard usually consists of Foot Guards in their full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins. If they have operational commitments, other infantry units take part instead.
Units from Commonwealth realms occasionally take turn in Guard Mounting. In May 1998, Canadian soldiers from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry mounted guard at Buckingham Palace for the first time since the Coronation in 1953.
Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces since 1660. Until 1689, the Sovereign lived mainly at the Palace of Whitehall and was guarded there by Household Cavalry.
In 1689, the court moved to St James's Palace, which was guarded by the Foot Guards. When Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in 1837, the Queen's Guard remained at St James's Palace, with a detachment guarding Buckingham Palace, as it still does today.
At Buckingham Palace, Guard Mounting takes place at 11.30 am. It is held daily from May to July, and on alternate dates throughout the rest of the year.
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