owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of
Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence. Although in use for
the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of
Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis.
The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual
Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with
some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by
Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by
Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sиvres porcelain, and some of
the finest English and French furniture in the world.
Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen's
Gallery, which reopened in May 2002.
THE QUEEN’S GALLERY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE
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The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated
to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-
ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the
nation. Constructed forty years ago on the west front of Buckingham Palace
out of the bomb-damaged ruins of the former private chapel, the gallery has
recently been redeveloped. It was reopened by The Queen on 21 May 2002 and
is now open to the public on a daily basis.
The inaugural exhibition of the redeveloped gallery is a spectacular
celebration of the individual tastes of monarchs and other members of the
royal family who have shaped one of the world's greatest collections of
art. Mixing the famous with the unexpected, the selection of 450
outstanding works for Royal Treasures: A Golden Jubilee Celebration has
been made across the entire breadth of the Royal Collection, from eight
royal residences and over five centuries of collecting.
THE ROYAL MEWS
One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at
Buckingham Palace provides a unique opportunity for visitors to see the
work of the Royal Household department that provides road transport for The
Queen and members of the Royal Family by both horse-drawn carriage and
motor car.
The Royal Mews has a permanent display of State vehicles. These include
the magnificent Gold State Coach used for Coronations and those carriages
used for Royal and State occasions, State Visits, weddings and the State
Opening of Parliament. A State motor vehicle is also usually on display.
For much of the year visitors to the Royal Mews can also see the 30 or so
carriage-horses which play an important role in The Queen's official and
ceremonial duties.
WINDSOR CASTLE
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Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest
occupied castle in the world. A royal palace and fortress for over 900
years, the Castle remains a working palace today. Visitors can walk around
the State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working
palace; for part of the year visitors can also see the Semi State rooms,
which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. They are
furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection including paintings by
Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain,
sculpture and armour.
Within the Castle complex there are many additional attractions. In the
Drawings Gallery regular exhibitions of treasures from the Royal Library
are mounted. Another popular feature is the Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a
miniature mansion built to perfection. The fourteenth-century St. George's
Chapel is the burial place of ten sovereigns, home of the Order of the
Garter, and setting for many royal weddings. Nearby on the Windsor Estate
is Frogmore House, an attractive country residence with strong associations
to three queens - Queen Charlotte, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary.
In celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen, a new
landscape garden has been created by the designer and Chelsea Gold
Medallist Tom Stuart-Smith. The garden, the first to be made at the Castle
since the 1820s, transforms the visitor entrance and provides a setting for
band concerts throughout the year. The informal design takes its
inspiration from Windsor's historic parkland landscape and the picturesque
character of the Castle, introduced by the architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville
for George IV in the 1820s.
FROGMORE
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Frogmore House lies in the tranquil setting of the private Home Park of
Windsor Castle. A country residence of various monarchs since the
seventeenth century, the house is especially linked to Queen Victoria. The
house and attractive gardens were one of Queen Victoria's favourite
retreats. In the gardens stands the Mausoleum where Queen Victoria and her
husband Prince Albert are buried.
THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE
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Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh
is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Situated at the end of the
Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is closely associated with
Scotland's turbulent past, including Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here
between 1561 and 1567. Successive kings and queens have made the Palace of
Holyroodhouse the premier royal residence in Scotland. Today, the Palace is
the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining.
BALMORAL CASTLE
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Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland is the
private residence of The Queen. Beloved by Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert, Balmoral Castle has remained a favourite residence for The Queen
and her family during the summer holiday period in August and September.
The Castle is located on the large Balmoral Estate, a working estate which
aims to protect the environment while contributing to the local economy.
The Estate grounds, gardens and the Castle Ballroom are open to visitors
from the beginning of April to the end of July each year, under the
management of the Balmoral Estate Office.
SANDRINGHAM HOUSE
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Sandringham House in Norfolk has been the private home of four
generations of Sovereigns since 1862. The Queen and other members of the
Royal family regularly spend Christmas at Sandringham and make it their
official base until February each year.
Like Balmoral, the Sandringham Estate is a commercial estate managed
privately on The Queen's behalf. Sandringham House, the museum and the
grounds are open to visitors.
ST JAMES’S PALACE
St. James's Palace is the senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long
history as a royal residence. As the home of several members of the Royal
Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official
functions and is not open to the public.
KENSINGTON PALACE
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Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence. Of great
historical importance, Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of
successive sovereigns until 1760. It was also the birthplace and childhood
home of Queen Victoria. Today Kensington Palace accommodates the offices
and private apartments of a number of members of the Royal Family. Although
managed by Historic Royal Palaces, the Palace is furnished with items from
the Royal Collection.
HISTORIC RESIDENCES
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Some of the most celebrated Royal residences used by former kings and
queens can still be visited today.
The Tower of London, begun by William I, is a fascinating complex
constructed over several centuries. It provided historic Royal families
with a residence for more than five centuries, and was a prison for other
Royal figures, including Lady Jane Grey. The Tower housed the Royal Mint
until 1810. There were also armouries and workshops in which weapons were
designed and manufactured; items including armour worn by Henry VIII remain
there today. The Tower remains the storehouse of the Crown Jewels and
regalia, as it has done for nearly 700 years. Today the Tower is under the
management of the Historic Royal Palaces Trust.
Hampton Court Palace is also managed by Historic Royal Palaces. Given by
Cardinal Wolsey to Henry VIII c.1526, the palace was a residence for
figures including Mary I and Elizabeth I, Charles I, William III and Mary
II, and retains many furnishings and objects from their times. It houses
some important works of art and furnishings in the Royal Collection.
The Banqueting House in Whitehall is the only remaining part of London's
old Palace of Whitehall. It was created by Inigo Jones for James I. Charles
I commissioned Rubens to paint the vast ceiling panels, which celebrate
kingship in general and the Stuart reign in particular. It was from the
Banqueting House that Charles I stepped on to the scaffold on 30 January
1649. In 1689 the Prince and Princess of Orange went to the Banqueting
House to accept the crown, becoming joint Sovereigns William III and Mary
II. Today the Banqueting House is managed by Historic Royal Palaces.
Other historic Royal residences which can be visited include Osborne
House, the beloved home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of
Wight, and the Brighton Pavilion, former residence of George IV when he was
Prince Regent.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Thorpe, Lewis, trans., Geoffrey of Monmouth: The History of the Kings of
Britain, Penguin Books, London, 1966;
G. R. Elton, Modern Historians on British History, 1485–1945:
A Critical Bibliography, 1945–1969 (1971);
P. Catterall, British History, 1945–1987:
C. Read, Bibliography of British History: Tudor Period, 1485–1603 (2d ed.
1959, repr. 1978);
C. L. Mowat, Great Britain since 1914 (1971);
G. Davies, Bibliography of British History: Stuart Period, 1603–1714 (1928;
2d ed., ed. by M. F. Keeler, 1970);
Sir George Clark, ed., The Oxford History of England (2d ed., 16 vol.,
1937–91);
G. S. Graham, A Concise History of the British Empire (1971);
F. E. Halliday, A Concise History of England (1980);
F. M. L. Thompson, ed., The Cambridge Social History of Britain, 1750–1950
(1990);
Encyclopedia Britannica
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