Buckingham Palace The Official Residence Of Queen Elizabeth

Buckingham Palace – The Official Residence of Queen Elizabeth

Buckingham Palace used to be a town home whose owner was the Dukes of Buckingham, hence the name Buckingham Palace. While it was still a town home, it was purchased in 1761 for Queen Charlotte for use as a family home. She and her husband, George III, wanted to be closer to where they held a lot of their functions.

Now Buckingham Palace is famous for being the official residence of Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip. Buckingham Palace has been in the royal family since 1837. Ever summer, Buckingham Palace opens to the public for tours. Initially, it was supposed to be created as a way to get funds to pay for the rebuilding of Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle was damaged in 1992 and the first year of the Summer opening was 1993. Ever since then, she has made it a yearly event to open the doors of her residence.
Of course, Queen Elizabeth stays at one of her other homes during this time.

In the State Rooms, you will find a lot of expensive paintings by some well-known artists, such as Rembrandt. You will also be able to see some of their English and French furniture.

The tours usually start in July and end in September. It is important to note that when you get your ticket, you must tour on that date and specific time that is there. Buckingham Palace admits people every 15 minutes.

With so many people coming to tour, it's imperative that you're timely about being at the tour; otherwise you will not be able to participate. Also, another reason why they're strict about timeliness is because the tour lasts 2 – 21/2 hours. They are only able to let so many people tour the Palace each day.

Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or in person. You can also sign up for unlimited admission. You will get a form that you need to fill out and return while you're there for your initial visit. After the tour is over and you have left Buckingham Palace, you will not be able to turn in your registration form.

If you want to get free admission for future visits, keep your ticket (original). It has a referenced number that you'll need. During future visits, you will have to show that ticket along with the number and an ID. If you have children that are 18 years or under, you can provide the staff with a birth certificate.

There are restrooms and baby changing areas available after you've completed your tour. In the State Rooms, you will have to use a baby carrier. Pushchairs and strollers are prohibited. You can check them in and get them on your way out. You can also have someone meet you with your stroller at the end of the tour.

In the Palace Garden, you can take pictures and use your cell phone. This is the only place where you can do this. Audio tours are part of the ticket prices and are translated into several languages: English, Spanish, French, and Russian, just to name a few.

If you have children ages 5 – 11 that accompanied you on the tour, there are activities available for them. This is a free service and an adult should be with them at all times.

You can also get to Buckingham Palace via the London Underground rail system. There are also certain bus routes that stop by there. Once you've experienced the tour of Buckingham Palace, it will be something that you will remember for a lifetime.