subject: Fascinating Facts about Buckingham Palace [print this page] Fascinating Facts about Buckingham Palace
One of the fascinating facts about Buckingham Palace is that has been situated in London as the official residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837, and therefore holds much of British history within its walls. Its rooms are filled with wealth and luxury. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen, and is used not only as a residence but also the administrative headquarters of the monarchy. It is truly one of the major tourist attractions of London and is an important part of any visit to London.
There are so many fascinating facts to discover at Buckingham Palace, but during my visit, one thing that caught my attention was the fact that it took nine direct hits during the bombing blitz of World War II. On several occasions King George VI (the theme of the movie "The King's Speech") and Queen Elizabeth were in the palace and escaped being killed. Buckingham Palace receives 50,000 visitors a day when it is open to the public, but you should be aware that the general public can only tour in August and September, when the queen is not in residence. Located in an area west of St. James Park in Westminster, it is a short walk from some of London's main attractions, including Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, and is also only a five minute walk from tube stations.
The flag is always flying over Buckingham Palace. When the Queen is at home, the Royal Standard flies, and when she is not present, the Union Flag flies instead. The sergeant is responsible for the raising and lowering the flag, when the queen arrives at or departs from the building. More fascinating facts about Buckingham Palace are that it is not the private property The Queen. As with Windsor Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace, which is the summer residence of the queen in beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland, Buckingham Palace is held by the sovereign The Queen as sovereign.
Other intriguing facts about Buckingham Palace is its size: 775 rooms, with 19 State rooms, 52 guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, it is really is a giant structure. Scheduled visits by the British prime minister and The Queen are made in the Queen's Audience Room. During the war, the meetings with King George VI and Winston Churchill were much less formal - the two dined on food from a buffet before sitting down to talk in private. Towards the end of the tour you can see the White Drawing Room. It is 108 meters long, 120 meters deep and 24 meters high. It's a venue where they perform great royal ceremonies and state visits.
