The official London residence of Queen
Elizabeth II is a familiar sight to many of us, from the ceremonial Changing of
the Guards to the balcony where royal newlyweds kiss for a cheering crowd. I wanted
to peek behind the palace walls so I timed my trip to England for the Summer Opening
of Buckingham Palace.
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| Buckingham Palace, London |
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| Memorial to Queen Victoria |
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Memorial Gardens
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| Canada Gate |
Buckingham Palace State Rooms
This British royal palace hasn’t always
been open to the public. Tourists were first welcomed in 1993 as a way to help
finance repairs after a fire at another of The Queen’s residences, Windsor
Castle.
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| Windsor Castle |
Buckingham Palace now opens annually in August and September, allowing curious
visitors to tour the public areas where palace guests are received and
entertained. My favourite room was the Throne Room where Prince William and
Catherine Middleton posed for their official wedding photos. A major 10-year
refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is expected to begin in 2017.
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Wedding Day of Prince William and Catherine Middleton |
Every year there’s a new exhibition held in
conjunction with the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace. This year Fashioning
a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe celebrated Her Majesty’s
ninetieth birthday. The displays included her christening, wedding, and
coronation gowns. (I was close enough to see the Canadian maple leaf embroidered
on the silk skirt of the Coronation Gown.) Photography isn’t allowed in the palace but
the Royal Collection Trust web site has many photos of the State Rooms as well
as highlights of the exhibition. This is also the web site for purchasing tickets.
Garden Highlights Tour
We upgraded our tickets to include a tour
of the palace gardens. Unlike a formal French garden, this traditional English
garden is comprised of natural spaces and a large manmade lake. Our guide also showed
us the Rose Garden, the Palace tennis court, and the massive Waterloo Vase commissioned
by Napoleon. Photographs aren’t allowed in the garden either, except along the
pathway leading to the gift shop and exit. (The PBS documentary The Queen’s Garden provides an interesting look at the four seasons of Buckingham Palace
Gardens.)
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| Pathway to the Exit from Buckingham Palace |
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| The Lake |
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| The Garden Shop |
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| Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
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| Royal Souvenir Tea Cups |
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| The Queen's 90th Birthday Souvenirs |
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| Plush Royal Corgis |
Before leaving the grounds we stopped for
refreshments at the open air Garden Café on the palace’s West Terrace. The café
overlooks the expansive lawn where The Queen hosts her annual summer garden
parties. Alas, my cup of cappuccino with a powdered chocolate crown was the
closest I’ll ever get to afternoon tea with royalty.
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| West Terrace of Buckingham Palace |
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The Garden Café
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| The Lawn |
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Strawberry Fraisier and Cappuccino
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The Royal Mews
The nearby Royal Mews houses The Queen’s
ceremonial horses, state coaches and automobiles. Unlike Buckingham Palace, the
stables are open to visitors most of the year (February through November) so
it’s not necessary to buy tickets in advance and photography is allowed.
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| The Riding School |
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| The Stables |
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| The Gold State Coach (1762) Used for Coronations |
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The Gold State Coach
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| Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee State Coach |
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| Royal Motor Car |
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| The Royal Mews Courtyard |
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| VIP Parking |
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| Daniel and Marquetry, Windsor Grey and Cleveland Bay Horses |
St. James Park
On the doorstep of Buckingham Palace, St.
James Park is the oldest of eight Royal Parks. The grounds include The Mall (the
ceremonial red road linking the palace with Trafalgar Square) and Horse Guards
Parade (where Trooping the Colour takes place).
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| Map of St. James Park |
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| The Blue Bridge |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| The Duchess of Cornwall's BFG Dream Jar: Read |
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| The Mall |
After strolling through St. James Park we
continued down The Mall toward Trafalgar Square and Admiralty Arch, which was also commissioned
in memory of Queen Victoria. Next time we’ll catch an iconic double-decker bus to
the area of London known as ‘The City’.
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| Admiralty Arch |
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| London Double-Decker Bus |
My Tip for the Day:
Buckingham Palace is only opened to the public
in August and September while The Queen vacations at Balmoral Castle in
Scotland.
Next:
The Great Fire of London
Nice to know they have a special parking spot for the TARDIS (doctor), LOL. I must go back to England soon. This coverage of your trip really has inspired me.
ReplyDeleteA few days later I found the TARDIS parked outside Earl's Court tube station!
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