Buckingham Palace: Queen Elizabeth’s Summer Home

On a bright sunny day of my London vacation, I headed out to see Buckingham Palace. London is a city of ideas, imagination, legends, tradition, culinary delights, and shopping. Wherever you walk, you’ll notice architectural splendour blossoming all around you, and although antiquity still abounds in the city, so do suburban taverns along the river banks. Although London’s established, centuries-old narratives still define the landscape, the Sky Garden, Shard, and Tate Modern addition provide a zing. Many of the city’s structures, such as Big Ben, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace, are notable breakthroughs.

While the city’s creative landscape is flecked with modern art, theatrical variants, music, poetry, gastronomy, and designs, its museums have collections as diverse as they are magnificent. Located in Westminster City, Buckingham is the London residence and official headquarters of the United Kingdom’s sovereign monarch. The Duke of Buckingham commissioned the construction of Buckingham Palace in 1703. In 1837, it took the position of Saint James Palace as the main home. 

Queen Elizabeth II now divides her time between Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral Castle in Scotland during the summer. The square Royal standard flag in red, yellow, and blue, is waved when Queen is at home; when she is not, the Union Flag is flown. Buckingham Palace, which is often at the heart of royal hospitality, serves as a significant platform during national celebrations and calamities.

On this particular day, I had to push through a big crowd to earn an upright view of the giant black and golden royal gate. The changing of the guard ritual, which was set to take place in the next few minutes, drew a large crowd.

Changing of the Guard Ceremony

In a Royal Palace, my favourite thing to do is see the changing of the guard ritual. This regal ritual is observed at Buckingham Palace by the Queen’s Guards, who hand over the responsibility of defending Buckingham Palace and Saint James Palace to the new Guard.

This 45-minute ceremony is bogarted by soldiers wearing red uniforms and bearskin helmets and regimental bands, who march alongside pipers with corps of drums. It’ll send shivers down your spine! The Changing of the Guard takes place every day at 11:30 a.m. however may sometimes be cancelled due to inclement weather.

Buckingham Palace Staterooms

When Her Majesty is on vacation between July and September, the 19 lavishly decorated staterooms are available to the public. These staterooms are a spectacular exhibition of suspended artworks by Anthony van Dyck, Canaletto, Johannes Vermeer, Nicolas Poussin, and Rembrandt, among others.

The Throne Room

The staterooms are open for self-guided tours and include a look at the Throne Room, which has his highness and her majesty’s (ER and P) monogrammed dawn-tinted chairs. His Highness, the Prince of Wales, introduces the audio tour. For user convenience, the audio guide is provided in French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin, and Brazilian.

Buckingham Palace:The Grand Staircase

Buckingham Palace’s Grand Staircase, completed in the world’s most magnificent bronze cast, is one of the best exhibitions. An etched glass dome in the ceiling illuminates this glorious stairway. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, 52 bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 19 staterooms, 92 offices, and 78 washrooms, with 800 royal employees and a flagman to look after them.

In 1837, Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to use the palace as her official house, and it has been the sovereign’s official London residence ever since. Guests are engaged in the palace’s 19 guestrooms during her majesty’s stay. When the Queen visits Scotland in August and September, these chambers are available to the public. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be here, and I returned, content!

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2 thoughts on “Buckingham Palace: Queen Elizabeth’s Summer Home

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