"London is the capital of Great Britain" - every person knows this phrase from school. 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 the streets of London are themselves a living attraction. As in any large and famous city in the world, a tourist in London has a program of must-see places. In the UK, this includes 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 - it is impossible not to tell more about this. 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 the architect in history is William Wilde. But Buckingham Palace did not immediately become the residence of queens and kings, but only from 1837. The complex is considered one of the main attractions not only of the capital, but of the whole country. It can be said thatBuckingham Palace has become a symbol of Foggy Albion. And few dare to argue with this fact.
A young palace, but an adult in value
In the photo of Buckingham Palace from the inside you can see the luxurious royal decoration of the rooms and the interior. The palace is considered relatively young compared to other famous historical buildings in Great Britain, but nevertheless it is of paramount importance for the country. However, Buckingham Palace as the residence of monarchs, despite all its significance and rich design, is not one of the most visited tourist sites in Foggy Albion. When ranked based on the number of tourists who visit must-see sites each year, Buckingham Palace will modestly lose top spot to the London Eye or the Tower of London. However, for every Briton it is the most important object of the country's capital.
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 delights 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. Receptions of noble persons and official delegations from all over the world are held in the palace. One of the conditions under which it is possible to visit the residence of the monarchs is the absence of royal persons and their guests. If the flag is lowered at the palace, then the Queen is not at Buckingham Palace.
Building 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 felt a constant rotten and moldy smell. The most amazing thing is that, apart from 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 she died of nervous distress.
New owner
In 1762, the building was purchased by King George III of England. He believed that he urgently needed a new residence, since the old one did not correspond to the status and royal grandeur. After Buckingham Palace came into the possession of the king, he subjected to great changes to its interior. He built a large library, and portraits by famous artists began to appear on the walls of the house. The palace eventually acquired a new name - "Queen's House", because most of the time the wife of George the Third lived there with their children. For 80 years after the king bought Buckingham Palace, the most brilliant architects of that era, Edward Blore and John Nash, worked on it.
The reign of the legend - Queen Victoria
The way we are used toBuckingham Palace acquired during the reign of Queen Victoria. At one time, the residence of the monarchs underwent a huge reconstruction. The interiors were given even more luxury, a large number of new gardens were laid out, artificial lakes and waterfalls were constructed. After all the work was completed, the palace became the official residence of all the royals of Great Britain. At first, the transformation of Buckingham Palace caused indignation among the stiff English, as they believed that the queen could not live in luxury. Another reason for the indignation was the decent amount for that time spent on reconstruction. Public opinion was such that the palace of kings and queens should not be distinguished by luxury, as it was in France, but, on the contrary, by simplicity. Protests did not stop during the reign of Edward the Seventh, who also had a hand in changes in the palace. He ordered that some of the artificial marble be replaced with real, and some of the bedrooms were redone in styles unusual for that time, such as Chinese.
Returning to the present, it must be said that all the indignations and disputes are a thing of the past, and today Buckingham Palace is a symbol of the monarchy. The space in front of the main palace gate now adorns the monument to Queen Victoria. To visit the royal residence is available only in August and September. At the same time, you need to sign up for a tour 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. Numbervisitors who can visit the palace per day are also limited. In addition, please note: even if you are still lucky enough to get on the tour, you will not get into all the rooms. Fact: Buckingham Palace has 755 rooms. A garden of 17 hectares is laid out on the territory adjacent to the palace. One of the highlights and most memorable moments when visiting the complex is the changing of the guard. It takes place every day at 11:30 am between April and August.
