A potted history of Buckingham Palace
A potted history of Buckingham Palace
A potted history of Buckingham Palace
London has many famous edifices, from Big Ben and Tower Bridge to the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. However, it's perhaps the latter of these buildings that garners the most interest around the world, given its association with one of the most globally recognisable families: the British Royal Family.
Whilst most people would probably recognise Buckingham Palace by its silhouette alone, not many people could tell you the first thing about the building's history. But one thing Buckingham Palace has is history...dating back almost half a millennia.
Before there were any buildings on the site, the land where Buckingham Palace is now located was once marshland by the banks of the River Tyburn, a small stream that still flows beneath the courtyard of the southern wing of the Palace. Whilst the land changed hands on a number of different occasions, a key milestone was when Henry VIII acquired the land in the mid sixteenth century the first time the land had been owned by royalty since William the Conqueror gave it away over half a millennia before that.
The first residence built on this site was commissioned by Sir William Blake, and completed in 1624. This heralded a number of developments over the next century and a half, culminating in George III buying Buckingham House in 1761, for his wife Queen Charlotte.
The following year, the King arranged for a little remodelling work, costing a mere 73,000. Following this, George III's son, George IV, reconstructed the house into a pied--terre upon his accession in 1820.
As work progressed, King George IV had a change of heart, and in 1826 with the help of his architect, John Nash he began transforming the house into a palace. Whilst Parliament initially agreed to pay 150,000 towards this major rebuilding work, the King pushed for a figure three times that amount. And with the funding in place, the main building was doubled in size, with a whole new suite of rooms. Today, these remodelled rooms are pretty much unchanged from these alterations almost two centuries ago.
By the end of the 1820s, the costs had exceeded even King George IV's expectations, escalating to half a million pounds. The architect Nash was blamed and he ultimately lost his job.
Despite all his effort, King George IV never lived in the Palace. Queen Victoria was the first member of the royal family to live in Buckingham Palace, moving into the Palace in 1837, just a few weeks after her accession to the throne.
A major problem was encountered not long after moving in: there wasn't enough space for visitors or nurseries for their children. The only answer to this problem was to move the Marble Arch, to create space for a fourth wing, hence completing the famous quadrangle. The Marble Arch was moved to where you see it today, on the north-east corner of Hyde Park.
Today, the myriad of London hotels near Marble Arch and Buckingham Palace ensures the area is always teeming with tourists from all across the world, eager to see the famous Palace up close...and maybe catch a glimpse of the Royal Family whilst they're at it!
Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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