Buckingham Palace in London

Buckingham Palace, located in the Westminster district of London, is the official residence of the British Royal family. Official ceremonies are held here. When the Royal family leaves for their Palace of Holyrood in Scotland in the summer, 19 halls of the Palace are opened for tourists.

Buckingham Palace was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. The title Duke of Buckingham was given by the highest statesman, but it was abolished in the 18th century. This Palace was built for John Sheffield Duke of Buckingham, but he did not have time to live there. At first, it seemed to him that the Palace smelled musty, although others did not feel it. In 1721, John Sheffield died, and his heir decided to sell the Palace.

King George III was looking for a new residence. After the fire of Whitehall Palace in 1698, the monarch was forced to move to St James`s Palace, but it did not suit him. As a result, in 1762, Buckingham Palace was purchased by the monarch, and since 1837 it has become the official residence of the British monarchs, where they permanently reside.

The Palace was rebuilt and expanded many times. Today it consists of 775 rooms. 19 of them are open to tourists in summer. The Palace occupies an area of 3 hectares and is adjacent to the Gardens of Buckingham Palace, which cover an area of 17 hectares.

Every day at 11.30 am from April to August, a changing of the guard of honor ceremony is held in front of Buckingham Palace. It always attracts many tourists. A monument to Queen Victoria was erected near the facade of the Palace in 1911.