Buckingham Palace in London

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen and has been since Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837. The Palace itself is quite nice, and the park it stands in is not bad either. With a bit of luck you can witness the changing of the guards, which is a spectacular sight. Should you see the Royal Standard flying you will know that Her Royal Highness is 'at home'. The Palace takes its name from Buckingham House which was built on the site by the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 - 1705. It was then bought by George III for his wife Charlotte in 1762 and was thereafter known as the Queen House. In 1825 John Nash carried out extensive enlargements and alterations for George IV who gave the house the name Buckingham Palace. However the project consumed so much money it became a scandal and neither George IV nor his successor lived in the Palace. The Palace stands in about 40 acres of garden and whilst the west facade of the palace building remains virtually as Nash designed it, the East Side facing the garden which had been added to in 1847 was replaced entirely in 1913. The interior houses the Throne Room, Music Room, State Dining Room, many beautifully decorated apartments, and a gallery of paintings and other works of art. The royal apartments are to be found in the north wing of the Palace. admission £9.00, children £5.00