Visiting Buckingham Palace and State Rooms

January 03, 2010

Visiting Buckingham Palace and State Rooms

Posted on 5:00 pm by Jas

London: Queen's Guard, Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace in London is one of the few working palaces left in the world. It is the residence of the Queen of England and the administrative headquarters of the Royal household.

It was first opened to the public in 1993, and the state rooms are open to visitors annually in the summer between August and September when the Queen is away in Scotland.

Buckingham Palace is surrounded by 20 hectares of gardens and has 775 rooms. These include 19 state rooms, 72 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

More then 50, 000 guests are invited to the palace each year for banquets, lunch, dinner, receptions and royal garden parties.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms

In the summer months when open to the public, you can take a tour of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms, the Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews. The staterooms are the main working part of the household and used by the Queen and Royal family to receive and entertain guests on official occasions such as State visits and Royal ceremonies. The Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews are open to the public all year round.

Included in the admission price to Buckingham Palace is an audio tour of the State Rooms. The 19 State Rooms include the grand entrance, throne room with gold ceiling and red curtains, a 50-metre long picture gallery with paintings including Rembrandts, and the state dining room with a table set to seat 46 guests.

The audio tour is very informative and gives you an introduction to Royal history and interviews with the Royal household and staff. You can walk through the State Rooms at your own pace, and hear about the history and use of each room as you go. The audio tour is in 8 different languages and ends by taking you through the gardens.

Queen's Gallery

The Queen's Gallery is a permanent space featuring items that rotate from the Royal collection. It is open daily and the current exhibition, on until October 31 2009, includes French Porcelain for English Palaces and Treasures from the Royal Collection (spectacular jewels).

Changing of the Guard

A major draw for visitors to London is the changing of the guard. This is conducted on the Palace forecourt daily at 11:30 am from May until the end of July, in August on odd numbered days, and September and October on even numbered days. The changing of the guard is a must see for anyone with a love of all things royal and 40 minutes to spare.

Entry Fees: Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is open from 26 July until 30 September from 9:45 am until 6:00 pm. Allow 2 to 3 hours to explore the State Rooms and gardens and visit the Queen's gallery or Royal Mews.

Tickets for the State Rooms only (including audio tour) are £16.50 for adults and £9.60 for children under 17. If you wish to also visit the Royal Mews and the Queen's Gallery, you should purchase a Royal Day Out ticket which is £29.50 for adults and £16.50 for children. Tickets are time stamped for entry every 15 minutes and can be purchased online or on the day.

January 03, 2010