1 Buckingham Palace has always been the official London residence of the British King or Queen
2 Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to live there.
3 Queen Elizabeth II and her husband live in the ‘state rooms’ in the palace
4 Elizabeth II has been queen for more than fifty years.
|
No visit to London is complete without a trip to Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II)
Buckingham Palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and, as such, was known simply as Buckingham House. Its first royal resident was King George III, who bought it in 1762, but it was not until 1837, when Victoria became queen, that it became the official royal palace of the British monarch.
Approximately 450 people work at Buckingham Palace, and each year more than 50,000 people enjoy some form of entertainment there – the Queen often holds garden parties and receptions for invited guests. I the 1990s, the palace became even more open, with members of the public being allowed to go on a tour of the ‘state rooms’. These are the official reception rooms in the palace, rather than the rooms that the Queen and her husband live in.
I June 2003, a concert of classical music and a pop concert were held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, This was to celebrate Elizabeth’s 50th anniversary as queen.
|
