England's most famous royal palace, and the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace opens the doors of its State Rooms to the public every summer. Originally acquired by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham House was increasingly known as the 'Queen's House' and 14 of George III's children were born there. On his accession to the throne, George IV decided to convert the house into a palace and employed John Nash to help him extend the building. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live here (from 1837). The State Rooms are now still used by the Royal Family to receive and entertain guests on State and ceremonial occasions. Visitors can admire some of the more unusual gifts received by the current Queen, including drawings by Salvador Dali, an embroidered silk scarf from Nelson Mandela and a grove of maple trees. Decorated in lavish fashion, the rooms include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Vermeer and Poussin, sculpture by Canova, exquisite examples of Svres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. The Ball Supper Room, the setting for a host of sparkling events in the history of the palace, 29-acre gardens and annual exhibitions are all also available to visitors.
Chesterfield Mayfair
35 Charles Street, W1J 5EB
Guests who've stayed at this four star hotel in Mayfair consistently tell us how much they love the charming old... More
Flora London Marathon 2009
Starts - Greenwich Park,
26th April 2009
Every April, 30,000 runners flood the streets of the capital to do battle with themselves and... More
Buckingham Palace Summer Opening
Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA
1st August 2009 - 27th September 2009
For two months in the summer visitors have the chance to look round... More
The Christmas Shop
Hay's Galleria, 55A Tooley Street, SE1 2QN
This is an Aladdin's cave bursting at the seams with enough twinkling bits 'n' bobs and Christmas... More
St James's Park
Park Office, The Store Yard, Horse Guards Approach, SW1A 2BJ
Colourful, central park with thriving bird population and lake
St James's Park with Green Park,... More
Once Buckingham Palace's resident chapel, the Queen's Gallery was opened in 1962 and holds regularly changing exhibitions. It allows the general public glimpses of rarely ... More
A landmark triumphal arch set opposite the Duke of Wellington's residence at Apsley House, Wellington Arch was built in 1830 to commemorate the victories won ... More
The tenth best hotel in Europe (according to New Yorker's tourist Bible 'Travel and Leisure') is so close to Buckingham Palace you can almost hear ... More
For two months in the summer visitors have the chance to look round Buckingham Palace and admire the interiors of this principle royal residence. The ...More
Attending the London Restaurant Awards last year, Evening Standard restaurant critic Fay Maschler decided it could be done better (no offence, Giles Coren). The London ...More
Cheek by jowl with Buckingham Palace and owned by the same family for three generations, The Goring is part of the British establishment. Appropriately, given ... More
Mango Tree does make you breathe a peaceful sigh when you walk into its cool, calm interior, especially coming (as you will) off of traffic-whizzing ... More
The Instituto is the official Spanish Government Cultural Centre. The London branch is one of forty that make up the largest Spanish teaching organisation in ...More
Catalyst personal trainers are among the best in London. Get fit without doing yourself an injury, lose weight with a specially devised programme or build ... More
A favourite with young royals - Princes Harry and William, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been spotted here... all at the same time. And where ... More
Between the Victorian elegance of Berkley Square and the Imperial magnificence of Piccadilly, you might be surprised to find a club that oozes with Eastern ... More
Get the FREE monthly guide to London entertainment, arts, concerts, sport, book signings, and essential event information delivered directly to your inbox.
For two months in the summer visitors have the chance to look round Buckingham Palace and admire the interiors of this principle royal residence. The ...More
![[LondonTown.com Header Image (Thames Scene)]](/LTtemplates/template_images/londontown.upper.logoheader.thamesscene-cc.jpg)
England's most famous royal palace, and the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace opens the doors of its State Rooms to the public every summer. Originally acquired by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham House was increasingly known as the 'Queen's House' and 14 of George III's children were born there. On his accession to the throne, George IV decided to convert the house into a palace and employed John Nash to help him extend the building. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live here (from 1837). The State Rooms are now still used by the Royal Family to receive and entertain guests on State and ceremonial occasions. Visitors can admire some of the more unusual gifts received by the current Queen, including drawings by Salvador Dali, an embroidered silk scarf from Nelson Mandela and a grove of maple trees. Decorated in lavish fashion, the rooms include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Vermeer and Poussin, sculpture by Canova, exquisite examples of Svres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. The Ball Supper Room, the setting for a host of sparkling events in the history of the palace, 29-acre gardens and annual exhibitions are all also available to visitors.
