During our time in London, we visited Buckingham Palace on one of the rare days where tours are offered of part of the interior of the Palace. No photos are allowed within the Palace (the penalty for taking them is evidently confiscation of one’s memory card, and expulsion from the property), so unfortunately I couldn’t share how ornate the interior is, but if you’re interested, a quick Google search will show you that it’s the very definition of regal. I was however, able to take photos of the exterior of Buckingham Palace, which is positively lovely as well.
Buckingham Palace
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Address: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Hours: Seasonal, see hours here under “opening times”
Admission Price: £26.50 per Adult
Built: Year 1703
Built in 1703 for the 3rd Earl of Mulgrave, John Sheffield, this grand estate was one of the largest buildings ever built at the time. Later, in 1761, King George III purchased the residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte, who had 14 children at the palace. Ever since, it has been the home of the British Royal Family. It has served as both residence and an administrative center for the monarchy since 1837, when Queen Victoria became the first reigning monarch to move into the palace.
At 828,820 ft², Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including 92 offices, 52 bedrooms for royalty and their guests, 78 bathrooms, plus an expansive garden, a pool, chapel, a post office, even a surgical room, and a jewelry repair shop, and expansive collection of hundreds of clocks, and it even has its own movie theatre. Essentially, just about everything a person could ever need rests within Buckingham Palace. The building itself is rumored to have a value of more than £5 Billion British Pounds.
All told, the palace and its grounds cover around 39 acres. Buckingham Palace is the primary location that Queen Elizabeth the II entertains guests, like monarchies from other nations, heads of state, and other guests and celebrities. With that in mind, it’s quite the honor to be invited to the palace.
Should you find yourself in London sometime from late July until October, you may be able to join in on a tour of a portion of the Palace’s tour. I’m not normally one for formal tours, but this is such an iconic building with a storied history that plays such a pivotal role in not only the United Kingdom, but other nations under the British Royal Family’s rule, like Canada, Australia, the Bahamas, New Zealand, and 11 other countries. It’s certainly worth a visit in order to not only see the impressive interior, but to also learn more about the history of the building, the monarchy, and the British Empire.
Walking outside of the palace is, of course, free of charge, and a ticket to visit the interior of Buckingham Palace was around £25 per adult when we visited last July. To order tickets in advance, and to find updated pricing, which is tiered by age and student status, click here.
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Alison says
Wow! Buckingham Palace absolutely on my bucket list for this 42 yr old mom of 2!