Buckingham Palace
All photos of Buckingham Palace dated 2015-2016 are the actual ones and were taken with iPhone 5s.
Originally, Buckingham Palace was a townhouse built for Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was converted into a palace by John Nash for King George IV. However, the works took a while to complete and Queen Victoria was actually the first monarch to live at the Palace.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principle workplace of Queen Elizabeth II. She resides there with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. There are other royal apartments there for Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Duke of York. Usually, you can see the Union Jack flag but you will know when the Queen is in residence as The Royal Standard flag is flying atop of the palace.
Buckingham Palace is one of the most photographed places as it is used for many ceremonies, such as visits from other heads of state. Recently, we have seen David Cameron driven to the Palace to receive the audience of the Queen upon securing outright majority in the 2015 General Elections. Many occasions are celebrated at the palace and formal photographs and portraits taking place in one of the state rooms. As such, around the globe you can find photos of the Royal Family waiving from the balcony at the crowds gathered around The Mall.
Paste a VALID AdSense code in Ads Elite Plugin options before activating it.
It is a popular destination for the tourists and I have witnessed on many occasions some enthusiasts arriving straight from the airport with their luggage to take photos of the palace.
The grand memorial in front of the palace is The Victoria Memorial sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock in 1911. It was interesting to read about the sculpture which is very symbolic. On top of the statue you can see gilded statues of Winged Victory, Constancy and Courage. Marble statue of Queen Victoria is facing the Mall, to the side surrounded by marble sculptures of Justice and Truth, representing her style of ruling Whilst Motherhood is facing Buckingham Palace representing the love she had for the people. The statues are decorated in nautical theme such as mermaids in adherence to the nautical theme of the architectural landscape dictated by Sir Aston Webb who was designing the gardens and gates of the palace. Sir Thomas Brock said of the monument to represent the “qualities which made our Queen so great and so much beloved”.
One of the greatest things is that you can visit the palace and its gorgeous state rooms. The queues seem very long but they are certainly worth it. Plan your visit ahead!