The Queen's Palaces - Buckingham Palace - 1 of 2

The Queen has three official residences - the best known, Buckingham Palace; the oldest, Windsor Castle; and the most romantic, Palace of Holyroodhouse. Among the few working royal palaces in the world today, they serve as both family homes and as the setting for the business of Monarchy. Each has its own distinctive story - long histories that reflect good and bad times, triumph and tragedy and, of course, the lives of some of our most memorable kings and queens. But they all share certain features - incredible collections of treasures that reflect both the tastes of their occupants and the artistic development of the nation, and architecture that has evolved across the centuries to meet the needs of different ages, reflecting the story of Britain and its people like no other buildings.

Buckingham Palace may be just about the most famous building in the world, but its story is much less familiar. Fiona Bruce reveals how England's most spectacular palace emerged from a swampy backwater in just 300 years. The journey of discovery takes her from the sewers of London to the magnificent State Rooms; from a home for camels and elephants to the artistic brilliance of C18th-century Venice; and from a prince's Chinese fantasy to the secret of how the Palace's glittering chandeliers are cleaned today.

• Category

  People & Blogs

[generalflo123]

bullshit



[MyDigitalRealm]

Could I interest you in some bullshit nappies Sir?

[Nominee100]

hihi iam from germany.... i am from mecklenburg...

[MyDigitalRealm]

Greetings from Scotland!

[FCBfreak97]

hehe I'm from Germany,too.

Im going to live in England in a boarding school next January. Looking forward to this so much! I love Britain, especially London. Hopefully my English knowledge is good enough to get used to a boarding school :)

[MyDigitalRealm]

I hope you have fun and get used to running cross-country in the rain :¬D

[sabinal01]

A republic it's a bullshit that destroys successfully the dignity of the people, changing the head of the state every 4-5 years. there is a risk of getting a dictator and let's see then what democracy means.The presidential administration it is in deed further more expensive than the Royal house because there is also a budget for election campaigns. A president will cannot be equidistant and will also act only for helping the sponsors from his campaign. GO FOR THE MONARCHY! GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

[skitzorat]

I think you will find they have enormous private wealth. They would get on quite fine without 10 Downing St.

[jhagsi]

thus anyone notice how gorgeous and elegant Fiona is!

[BatusaiJack]

WINGS CHILD

[Michael Raskulinec]

Beannachtaí ó Éirinn.

[goodgirlkay]

Umm...there are elections every 5 years or so in the UK and the party with the most mp's get to pick the actual leader of the government. The PM. What exactly is that big of a difference?

[timmy D=]

I went to the front of Buckingham palace. I know what you guys are thinking. and you are right. I am awesome.

[Pau Ch]

wow i want to visit that palace someday.

[nightmaretrooper]

greetings from canada

[burberrycraze]

siwan swan: It's treacherous to just trash your Monarch once He/She doesn't have a major role in the running of the country anymore. The Monarchy ruled the realms generations after generations and if not for the medieval successes of the English Monarchs, Britain may not stand where it is today. So if one is too narrow minded to understand the principles of continuity, culture, respect and duty,just take the existence of the Monarchy as a symbol of gratefulness to their past services.

[Michael Dugenia]

Those who say they are for royalty have the luxury to say that because what we have today are constitutional monarchies. Try saying that when absolute monarchy was the norm and you would think otherwise. Corruption is not that prevalent because the real power behind the palace (10 Downing St.) controls the purse strings of the royals. Without parliament, they would have nothing.