Buckingham Palace

by Pitkin Pictorials, Olwen Hedley

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every summer. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House. During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East Front, which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds. A German bomb destroyed the palace chapel during World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.

24 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1974

About the author

Pitkin Pictorials has been at the forefront of heritage publishing for over 70 years. The founder, Mr Pitkin, was a post-war entrepreneur devoted to publishing highly illustrated souvenir guidebooks that commemorated special people and events in British history.

One of the earliest souvenirs was for Princess Elizabeth’s wedding day in 1947, and subsequent publications documented other memorable royal occasions. As the list grew, subjects widened to include cathedrals, stately homes, museums.

Reviews

[David Bisset · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic information about a building which formerly remained hidden.