Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, at the end of The Mall in Westminster, London, England, is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the British monarch. The east front, facing the Queen Victoria Memorial and the gilded gates, is the best-known view and the setting for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. The palace has 775 rooms, but only the nineteen State Rooms are opened to the public, usually during the summer months when the royal household is away. These rooms are used for official receptions and state banquets, and include the Throne Room, the Grand Staircase, the Ballroom and the Picture Gallery, which holds works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto from the Royal Collection. The tour is self-guided with a multimedia guide and takes roughly two hours. The Changing of the Guard takes place outside the railings at around 11:00 on selected days, and the free ceremony draws large crowds; arriving 45 minutes early near the Victoria Memorial or along The Mall gives a clear view. Photography is not allowed inside the State Rooms, so the exterior and the ceremony are the main photographic opportunities. St James's Park, directly alongside, offers the classic view of the palace across the lake, especially in the evening. Tickets for the State Rooms are time-slotted and sell out well in advance for July and August. Weekday mornings are generally calmer than weekends, and security checks at the entrance can add queueing time. The Royal Mews and the King's Gallery nearby are separately ticketed. Visitors should plan transport and timing carefully. The nearest stations are Victoria, St James's Park and Green Park, each about ten to fifteen minutes on foot, and The Mall is closed to traffic at times of ceremonial events. Bags are limited in size at the entrance. After the tour, the Royal Mews, the King's Gallery and the Guards Museum at Wellington Barracks are within a short walk and give more insight into royal life and military tradition.