Buckingham Palace has served as the monarch’s administrative headquarters and official residence for more than a century. Although the palace became home to British Kings and Queens in 1837, it was first built in 1703 and has a long standing history.
Currently, Queen Elizabeth II and her family use it as their official residence during some months of the year. It is also used to hold state occasions and allows guests to experience the opulence that the UK is renowned for.
However, there is a lot to know about Buckingham Palace. Whether you are a huge fan of the royal family or just want to know more about Buckingham Palace, here are 10 interesting facts about this iconic home in Europe.
1. Queen Victoria was the First Sovereign to Live in the Residence
After undergoing renovations in the 19th century, King George IV commissioned it and he later died in 1830. After his death, William IV assumed the throne but he postponed making the Buckingham residence his official residence. Although William was born in Buckingham Palace, he opted instead to live in Clarence Palace.
When William IV died in 1837, Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in 1837, making it her first official resident. This earned Buckingham Palace the title of the official royal residence.
2. The Palace Has Over 700 Rooms
Buckingham Palace sits on 39 acres of land and has more than 830,000 square feet (770,000 square meters) of floor space. It boasts a total of 775 rooms in total. This includes 19 staterooms for entertaining official guests, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, a cinema, 78 bathrooms and a swimming pool.
The palace is home to 92 offices, where Queen Elizabeth II, her family, and staff work. There is also a ballroom for holding State banquets.
There is also a music room that has been used for royal christenings throughout the years. This includes royal christenings for Prince Williams, Prince William, Princess Anne, and the Duke of York.
Considering its huge size, the Palace has over the years played home to thousands of visitors. The Palace also features 1,514 doors and 760 windows. The grounds are large enough to hold three garden parties every summer, with over 30,000 guests invited each year. Believe it or not, about 20,000 sandwiches are served to guests at each of these parties.
3. State Rooms are Open for Summer Holidays
Buckingham Palace is pretty much a royal residence and Queen Elizabeth lives in the residence at different times of the year. However, the Queen usually heads to Scotland during summer, making the state rooms open to the public from the end of July to September.
The palace is open to the public for 10 weeks every summer. However, to take a trip to this prestigious palace, you need to pre-book to secure tickets. You can head over to the royal website and book your tickets as soon as possible if you plan to tour Buckingham Palace next year.
4. Queen Victoria Became the First Monarch to Use the Balcony
The Buckingham Palace balcony is dubbed one of the most popular balconies in the world. In 1851, Queen Victoria used the balcony to make her first public appearance during the launching of the Great Exhibition.
In 1845, Queen Victoria employed Edward Blore to renovate the balcony. The project was financed by proceeds after the Brighton Pavilion was sold in 1846. Today, members of the royal family stand at the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to crowds.
5. The Palace Construction Project Budget Escalated
Initially, George III purchased the Buckingham House for his wife and it was used for many court functions. His son, George IV set out to reconstruct the house and later changed it to transform the house to a palace.
Although the Parliament had given a budget of $150,000, the King indicated that $450,000 would be a more realistic budget. The King’s architect, John Nash commenced on the project and transformed the Buckingham House into what it is today.
He added a new suite of rooms, remodeled the State and semi-State room, doubled the size of the main block, and added luxurious detailing, among many others. However, Nash accidentally exceeded the set budget and this cost him his job. The project cost went beyond the agreed budget by almost half a million pounds.
6. The Buckingham Palace Was Bombed in World War II
London was heavily bombed in World War II and the Buckingham Palace was not spared. This was particularly because the palace served as a cultural landmark. However, what was shocking was the fact that King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth refused to leave the palace despite being advised by the British government and the palace being hit nearly 9 times. This symbolized national strength against the attacker, Nazi Germany.
According to Queen Elizabeth, their children would not leave the palace unless she does. However, she was not ready to leave the palace unless the King did and the King was not ready to leave the country. Following the circumstances, Queen Elizabeth shot at local rats to hone her pistol firing skills.
7. The Palace Holds the Changing of Guard Ceremony
The Changing of Guard ceremony is a tradition that takes place at Buckingham Palace. This ceremony occurs every day and starts at 10: 45 and lasts about 45 minutes. It involves one regiment taking over from another regiment, which occurs at 11 am.
Generally, the Changing of Guard ceremony occurs in two places in London, the foot guards at Buckingham Palace and Two Household Cavalry regiments that take place at Horse Guards on Whitehall. The Queen’s Guards change daily from May to July and alternate days during the other months.
Five regiments’ foot guards change guards at Buckingham Palace. All guards wear scarlet tunics and big, black hats known as bearskins. The five regiments have different colored plumes on their hats that differentiate them.
However, the soldiers wear grey capes during winter or when it’s raining. The guards wear iconic red uniforms for two reasons. First, red is considered a difficult color to distinguish and is used as a military strategy.
Also, it was one of the cheapest colors to manufacture at the time and this helped the royal family save money when changing guards. However, the Queen’s guards don’t wear the usual red uniforms in August since another regiment takes over this month.
In 2017, Buckingham’s changing of guard ceremony was led by a female officer, Megan Couto. This happened to commemorate 150 years since Canada became a self-dominion of the UK. Megan’s unit was invited for this ceremony to defend the queen at the palace.
8. The Buckingham Palace Has Several Unexpected Things
Buckingham Palace has everything it needs to make it self-sufficient. Some of the unexpected things that are in the palace include a police station, post office, a clinic, movie theater, a pool, and cinema.
Most interestingly, there is an ATM inside the palace basement. The ATM is from Coutts & Co, which is the bank of choice for the royal family. There is a royal garden that sits on 42 acres in the City of Westminster and is the largest private garden in London.
The garden features the Rose garden with 25 varieties, a three-acre lake, a helicopter landing, a tennis court, and flowerbeds with exotic plants like spider plants.
There is a museum that features exhibits of the various eras of the monarchy. The museum boasts a total of 30,000 watercolors and drawings, 7,000 paintings, and 500,000 prints. There is also a Queen’s gallery with works by famous artists like Duccio, Vermeer, Rubens, and more.
There is also the Mall, which is the road located right in front of Buckingham Palace. The Mall is red and is specifically aimed for major national ceremonies. During state visits, it is usually decorated with Union flags.
9. A Teenager Once Broke Into the Buckingham Palace
A teenager by the name of Edward Jones broke into Buckingham Palace on three separate occasions. Edwards, who was apprehended in 1838, was very fascinated by the royal family, particularly with the then young Queen Elizabeth.
He managed to steal many of her belongings including several pairs of her underwear. He even admitted to having sat on her throne and stole food from the kitchens. Following these incidents, Jones was sent to Brazil, but he later returned to the UK as an adult.
10. The Queen’s Royal Standard Flag Indicates Her Presence
It is not surprising that everyone who tours Buckingham Palace wants to know whether or not the Queen is in the residence. Well, the easiest way to establish this is to check whether her royal standard flag billows above the palace.
This means that she is in the palace. However, if the Union Jack Flag is flying high above the palace, the Queen is not home.
Conclusion
Nestled near Green Park, Buckingham Palace continues to remain a must-visit for anyone touring London. Being the largest cultural landmark in London, the palace has a long and interesting history and some fascinating facts that not many people are aware of. If you are planning a visit to this historic site, make sure that you pre-book early enough to secure a ticket.
