“London is the capital of Great Britain” - everybody knows this phrase from the school bench. And as it should be the capital of the state, London is rich in a variety of attractions - cathedrals, gardens, palaces, galleries and museums, street objects and art. Yes, just the British, walking along the streets of London, are themselves a living attraction. As in any big and famous city in the world, a tourist in London has a program of places to visit. In the UK, these include the Tower of London, Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and, of course, Buckingham Palace. The current residence of the Queen - this can not be told in more detail. Interesting facts, photos, description of Buckingham Palace - today we will talk about it.
Facts
In the modern world, Buckingham Palace serves as the main residence of the monarchs of Great Britain, located in London, opposite Pall Mall. The year of foundation is considered to be 1703, and William Wilde is listed as an architect in history. But not immediately Buckingham Palace became the residence of queens and kings, but only since 1837. The complex is considered one of the main attractions not only of the capital, but of the whole country. We can say that Buckingham Palace has become a symbol of Misty Albion. And few dare to argue with this fact.
A young palace, but an adult by value
In the photo of Buckingham Palace inside you can see the luxurious royal decoration of rooms and the interior. The palace is considered relatively young compared to other famous historical buildings in the UK, but nevertheless is of paramount importance for the country. However, Buckingham Palace as the residence of the monarchs, despite all its significance and rich design, does not belong to the most visited tourist sites of the Foggy Albion. If you make a rating based on the number of tourists who visit the Mast Sea facilities annually, Buckingham Palace will modestly give first place to the London Eye or the Tower of London. However, for every Briton, he is the most important object of the capital of the country.
Stable 30,000 people
This is the number of people who visit Buckingham Palace in London every year. This number does not change from year to year. The royal residence is a delight for almost every tourist, because, in fact, Buckingham Palace is like the Vatican: it has its own post office, swimming pool and even a large cinema. The palace hosts receptions of noble persons and official delegations from all over the world. One of the conditions under which it is possible to visit the residence of the monarchs is the absence of royalty and their guests. If the flag is lowered at the palace, then there are no queens in Buckingham Palace.
Construction and history
There are several historical facts. Buckingham Palace was originally built not for kings and queens, but only for the Duke of Buckingham (hence the name). He met his death almost immediately, as soon as the construction was completed. The new house did not bring joy to the owner - he often told his surroundings that here he feels a constant rotten and moldy smell. The most amazing thing is that, besides him, no one else felt these “aromas”. After the death of the duke, his widow did not live long in the palace. Everything there reminded her of her beloved wife. She wanted to leave home, but died of nervous experiences.
New owner
In 1762, the building was acquired by King of England George the Third. He believed that he urgently needed a new residence, as the old did not correspond to the status and royal grandeur. After the Buckingham Palace was placed at the disposal of the king, he subjected the interior to great changes. He built a large library, and portraits of famous artists began to appear on the walls of the house. The palace eventually acquired a new name - “The Queen's House”, because most of the time there lived the wife of George the Third with the children. For 80 years after the king bought Buckingham Palace, the most brilliant architects of that era, Edward Blor and John Nash, worked on it.
The reign of the legend - Queen Victoria
Buckingham Palace acquired its familiar appearance during the reign of Queen Victoria. At one time, the residence of the monarchs underwent a reconstruction of enormous proportions. The interior was given even more luxury, a large number of new gardens were built, artificial lakes and waterfalls were constructed. After all the work was completed, the palace became the official residence of all the royal people of Great Britain. At first, the transformation of Buckingham Palace provoked indignation among the stiff English, as they believed that the queen could not live in luxury. Another reason for the indignation was a decent amount of money spent on reconstruction at that time. Public opinion was such that the palace of kings and queens should not stand out in luxury, as it was in France, but, on the contrary, in simplicity. The protests did not stop during the reign of Edward the Seventh, who also had a hand in the changes in the palace. He ordered that part of the artificial marble be replaced by the present, and some bedrooms were remade in unusual styles for that time, for example, Chinese.
Returning to the present, it must be said that all the indignation and controversy are a thing of the past, and today Buckingham Palace is a symbol of the monarchy. The space in front of the main palace gates now adorns the monument to Queen Victoria. To visit the royal residence is only available in August and September. In this case, the tour must be booked in advance, without this access to the palace is closed. The standard scheme "bought a ticket - went in - looked like and looked - left" does not work here. The number of visitors who can visit the palace per day is also limited. In addition, keep in mind that even if you were lucky enough to be on a tour, you won’t get into all the rooms. Fact: Buckingham Palace has 755 rooms. On the territory adjacent to the palace there is a garden of 17 hectares. One of the highlights and the most memorable moments when visiting the complex is the changing of the guard. It is held every day at 11:30 in the period from April to August.