Buckingham Palace / Royal Mews / Buckingham Palace Gardens.

Buckingham Palace is Queen Elizabeth 11's official home and office in London. Buckingham Palace has been the main home to the British Royal family, since Queen Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837. It is also used for ceremonial state banquets for visiting heads of state. John Nash converted the original Buckingham House into a Palace for George IV, but both he and his brother William IV died before the work was completed. Buckingham Palace is the London residence of the Queen and her husband PrInce Phillip the Duke of Edingburgh. Also, Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York all have private appartments there. Traditionally the Royal family wave to the crowds from the balcony overlooking the Mall. Most recently, it was where Prince William and Kate Middleton kissed and waved to the crowds after their royal wedding on April 29th 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

Buckingham Palace

The changing of the guard is carried out daily at 11.30am during the months of May, June and July. The new guard which marches up from Wellington Barracks meets the old guard in the forecourt of the Palace and they exhange symbolic keys to the sound of regimental music. The foot guards wear distinctive bear skin hats. The present east front of the Palace was added in 1913 and faces the Mall, a wide thoroughfare leading to Trafalgar Square. The sumptuous State rooms are open to the public in summer, when the Queen spends her summer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The royal standard, a flag flies from the flag pole when the Queen is in residence. To visit take the underground to Green Park station.

The Music room is where state guests are presented and royal christenings take place.
The State Dining room is where meals are held, which are less formal than state banquets.
The State Ballroom is used for state banquets and investitures.
The White Drawing Room is where the royal family assemble, prior to passing into the the State Ballroom or Dining Room.
The Throne room is illuminated by seven magnificent chandaliers.
The Green Drawing room is the first of the State rooms entered by guests at royal functions.
The Queen's Gallery is where artworks from the Queen's collection are displayed including Verner, Rubens and Rembrandt.
The Queen's audience chamber is one of the Queen's twelve private rooms on the 2nd story.

The Royal Mews, the stables and coach house is open most days for a few hours. The Royal Mews accommodate the horses and coaches used by the Royal Family on state occasions. The main exhibit is the gold state coach, built for George III in 1761. Also on display are the irish state coach bought by Queeen Victoria for the state opening of Parliament, the open topped royal landau, recently used for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29th April 2011 and the glass coach, used for transporting foreign ambassadors.

Buckingham Palace Gardens, forty acres of beautiful gardens and grounds and home to the famous garden parties, where the cream of society mingles with the good and worthy from all walks of life. Over 20,000 cups of tea, sandwiches and pieces of cake are served at each of the garden parties!