Buckingham Palace
London SW1

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen, used as a home and an office.  It is the London residence of the Queen and Prince Philip; Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duke of York all have apartments here.  

When the Queen is in residence the Union Jack can be seen flying above the Palace. The Palace is also used for ceremonial state occasions such as investitures and banquets for visiting heads of state. Every year some 50,000 people are entertained at garden parties, receptions, audiences, and banquets. The Palace is the working place of 450 people.

Buckingham House was built in 1702 for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and was bought by George III in 1761. It finally became the principal Royal residence in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria who was the first monarch to live at Buckingham Palace. The east wing facade (see photo above), which faces The Mall, was designed by Aston Webb and added in 1913.

Each August and September, when the royal family are away on holiday, the state rooms of Buckingham Palace are open to the public.  The 18 rooms were first opened to visitors in 1993 to help raise money to repair Windsor Castle after the fire that destroyed many of its state rooms in 1992. It was a big change to tradition. Using the public entrance in Ambassador's Court, visitors pass up the grand staircase and through magnificent state rooms, not entering the royal family's private apartments.  The state rooms, created by Nash in the 1820s, are the highlight of the tour. They are decorated 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 Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Used for state and official entertaining, these rooms are in the main west front, overlooking the garden. Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen's Gallery, which reopened in May 2002.

Visitors can also watch the Changing of the Queen's Guard.  The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 30 minutes. Changing the Guard is a colourful, musical military ceremony in which the New Guard marches from St James's Palace down the Mall to Buckingham Palace.  For half an hour the guards parade outside the palace then the Guard marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace.

Opening times

State Rooms: Open Daily from Open 31 July - 26 September 2004
A timed-ticket system is operated, with admission every 15 minutes. 9.30am - last admission 4.15pm.

Changing of the Guard: The Guard Change takes place at 11:30am daily from April until the end of June and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting.

Admission charge

Adult £12.95; Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £11.00; Under 17 £6.50; Under 5 Free, Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £32.50.
Tickets may be bought from the Ticket Office at Canada Gate in Green Park, open 09:00-16:00.
Buying a ticket in advance Book online or telephone (+44) (0) 20 7766 7300 A booking fee of £1.00 per ticket applies. All major credit cards accepted.