Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch (or sovereign), and the largest "working" royal palace remaining in the world. The expression "Buckingham Palace" or simply "The Palace" has become a common way of referring to the source of press statements coming from parts of the British Royal Family (see Metonymy). In addition to being the London home of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace is a setting for state occasions, royal entertaining and base for all officially visiting heads of state, and is a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point fo ...

Including:

• Buckingham Palace - History
• Buckingham Palace - Early history
• Buckingham Palace - House to palace
• Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria
• Buckingham Palace - The 20th century
• Buckingham Palace - World War
• Buckingham Palace - Interior
• Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies
• Buckingham Palace - Security
• Buckingham Palace - Use and public access
• Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace
• Buckingham Palace - The Palace today
• Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia - Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace - Early history. The first house recorded on the site was known as Goring House, built by the Lord Goring circa 1633. However, the house which forms the nucleus of the present palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703. Buckingham had the house rebuilt by the architect William Winde. The style chosen was of a large, three-floored central b ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - History

The Queen's Flag Sergeant is responsible for all flags flown from the palace. Until 1997 the only flag to fly from Buckingham Palace was the Royal Standard, the official flag of the reigning British sovereign, and only when the sovereign was in residence at the palace. Even in times of mourning, the Royal Standard would not fly at half mast. The only time another flag would fly from the Palace would be upon the death of the sovereign, when the flag of the next senior member of the Royal Family would be raised. In 1952, the S ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace

In addition to being the weekday home of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the palace is the work place of 450 people. Every year some 50,000 people are entertained at garden parties, receptions, audiences, and banquets. Buckingham Palace is also the venue for the daily ceremony of the Changing of the Guard, a major tourist attraction. In June 2003 on the occasion of the Queen's golden jubilee thousands of Britons were invited to apply for tickets to a pop concert, preceded the previous evening by a classical concert in the grounds of the ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - Use and public access

Royal security is high, but is better known for a series of high-profile intrusions, both at the Palace and elsewhere. No modern, fully detailed plan of the palace is available as a security measure. The famous armed sentries on guard at the front of the palace are commonly thought to be ceremonial, but they have always had a security role. The palace also contains its own police station, and the Royal Family have their own protection officers at all times. Other security measures are not revealed. The Foot Guards battalion at Wellington Bar ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - Security

The principal rooms of the palace are contained on the piano nobile behind the west-facing garden facade at the rear of the palace. The centre of this ornate suite of state rooms is the Music Room, its large bow the dominant feature of the facade. Flanking the Music Room are the Blue and the White Drawing rooms. At the centre of the suite, serving as a corridor to link the state rooms, is the Picture Gallery, which is top lit and 55 yards (50m) long. The Gallery is hung with works by Rembrandt, van Dyck, Rubens, and Vermeer, among many other ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - Interior

During the current reign court ceremony has undergone a radical change, and entry to the palace is no longer the prerogative of just the upper class. Formal court dress has now been abolished. In previous reigns, men not wearing military uniform wore knee breeches of an 18th-century design. In the evenings, women wore dresses with obligatory trains, and tiaras or feathers (or even both) in their hair. So rigid was the palace dress code that after World War I, when Queen Mary wished to follow fashion by raising her skirts a few inches ...

See also:

Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - History, Buckingham Palace - Early history, Buckingham Palace - House to palace, Buckingham Palace - Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace - The 20th century, Buckingham Palace - World War, Buckingham Palace - Interior, Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies, Buckingham Palace - Security, Buckingham Palace - Use and public access, Buckingham Palace - Flags at Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace - The Palace today, Buckingham Palace - Footnotes

Read more here: » Buckingham Palace: Encyclopedia II - Buckingham Palace - Court ceremonies