Buckingham Palace is probably London’s most famous building and has been the residence of the reigning monarch since 1837. It was in 1761 that George III bought Buckingham House, as it was then known, for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as an escape from matters of state at nearby St James’s Palace.
Over the next three quarters of a century many refinements and additions were made to the building and the house gradually became a ‘palace’ which now boasts 775 rooms. Each year In August and September the Palace opens its doors to allow entry to the public. The state rooms can be viewed on the official Buckingham Palace tour.
Furnished with some of the greatest art treasures from the Royal Collections there are works of art by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Canaletto and Claude. There are also beautiful examples of Porcelain, sculptures by Canova and Chantrey as well as some of the finest English and French furniture displayed anywhere in the world.
The Palace is a working building and, as the headquarters of the nation's monarchy, it houses the offices of those civil servants who attend to and administer the official duties of both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Palace is venue for a great many state occasions and ceremonies and more than 50,000 people will visit the Palace throughout the year as guests at banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the exclusive Royal Garden Parties.
London bus tours are not permitted along the Mall but the Big Bus Tour does pass very close with a great view of the distinctive and world-famous façade.
Of course you may hop-off at any of the stops close to the Palace, or find out more on our Royal London Walking Tour.

Guarding the Palace

Connecting Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace is the Mall. The Mall was created as a ceremonial route so that the Monarch could be seen by the public at state events. During modern day state visits both the visitor and the monarch are escorted along the Mall, which is decorated with the Union flag and the flag of the visiting head of state's country.

 Guardsmen await a head of state at the Mall.

The Royal Mews is acclaimed as one of the finest working stables in existence and a living part of Britain’s heritage. The Mews is open to the public between March and the end of October and exhibits some of the coaches used for Royal and State occasions.
The coaches that are displayed here include the Gold State Coach which has been used at every coronation since George IV in 1821. Weighing in at almost four tonnes it needs eight Windsor horses to pull it! There are other state coaches on display here, including the Irish State Coach which is used by the Queen to visit The Houses Of Parliament for the annual State opening; the Glass coach, used by Royal Brides; and the luxuriously appointed Australian State Coach which has central heating and electric windows fitted!
More information can be found on The Big Bus Royal London Walking Tour.

The Magnificent Gold State Coach

If you are visiting London outside of the months during which Buckingham Palace is open to the public, it is always possible to visit the Queen’s Gallery and view the superb collection of art treasures assembled here. The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to some of the items from the Royal Collection.
The gallery is situated along the west side of the Palace and is constructed at the site of a ruined chapel (much loved by Queen Victoria) which was destroyed by a bomb during the Second World War. At the suggestion of the Queen, it was developed as a gallery for the Royal Art Collection in the early 1960s. Since then the gallery has each year changed the displays and collection themes and has included works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Dyck, Canaletto, Faberge as well as photographs from the Royal Photographic Collection.

Exhibits inside the Queens Gallery