 |
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Somewhat surprisingly, the palace has been the monarch's official home for less then 200 years. The present Queen is Colonel-in-Chief of the 7 Household Regiments which still form part of the regular British army, as well as performing ceremonies such as the Changing of the Guard.
The palace, originally known as Buckingham House (and still nicknamed "Buck House" by the royal family), was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by King George III in 1762 as a private residence where 14 of his 15 children were born. It was enlarged over the next 75 years, forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
Buckingham Palace or simply "The Palace" is also a common way of referring to the source of press statements coming from the British Royal Family is today a setting for state occasions and royal entertaining, a base for all officially visiting Heads of State, and a major tourist attraction
The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th Century, with the addition of the large wing facing east towards The Mall, and the removal of the former state entrance, Marble Arch, to its present position near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park. The east front was refaced in Portland stone in 1913 as a backdrop to the Victoria Memorial, creating the present-day 'public face' of Buckingham Palace, including the famous balcony.
The Buckingham Palace Gardens are the largest private gardens in London, originally landscaped by Capability Brown, but redesigned by William Townsend Ailton of Kew Gardens and John Nash. The man-made lake was completed in 1828 and is supplied with water from the Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace)
|
 |
