About Buckingham Palace

The official London residence of the British monarch since 1837, Buckingham Palace is the setting for national ceremonies and royal hospitality. The palace was originally built as a town house for the Duke of Buckingham. In 1761 it was acquired by George III who used it as a private residence. It became the official residence of the British monarch when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837  

Including 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, 188 staff bedrooms and 19 state rooms, Buckingham Palace has a total of 775 rooms. Although in use for many official ceremonies, the state rooms are open to the public every year. The rooms are decorated with priceless works of art from the Royal Collection. Buckingham Palace is no mere show piece; it is a functional palace housing the offices of the staff who organize the activities and duties of the Royal family. Buckingham palace is also the venue for many Royal ceremonies and Sate Visits, all organized by the palace staff.

Every year around 50,000 guests are entertained at the palace. Buckingham palace is also home to the largest private gardens in London, containing its own artificial lake. It is the venue for two or three garden parties held every summer, hosted by the queen.  The changing of the guard is a popular attraction. It is a ceremony held in the forecourt everyday during the summer  and every other day in the winter.

Of the many dazzling state rooms in the palace, the centerpiece is the Music Room flanked by the Blue and White Drawing rooms. Connecting the state rooms is the 50 meter long Picture Gallery containing numerous works of art. The Picture Gallery also leads to the Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room. The Green Drawing Room serves as part of the ceremonial route from the Guard Room to the Throne Room. The rooms are used for ceremonial and official purposes, however they are open to the public every year. In addition to the Picture Gallery the palace also houses the Queens Gallery which is a public gallery displaying varying pieces from the Royal Collection. The Queens Gallery was built on the site of the chapel after a German bomb destroyed it during WWII. Unlike the rest of the palace the Queens Gallery is open to the public everyday.

Location

By Tube :
Green Park tube located on north of Buckingham Palace, Victoria Station and St. James Park
tube stations are located on south and  Hyde Park Corner tube is on the west.

By Bus :
3, 9, 14, 16, 19, 22, 25, 30, 36, 38, 52, 73, 74, 82, 137, 509, 510.