08 高二 Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of Britain’s monarchs since 1837, at the start of the reign of Queen Victoria. With its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace was originally built for the Dukes of Buckingham at the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1761, Buckingham Palace, then known as Buckingham House, was acquired by George Ⅲ who named it “The Queen’s Residence” and had it remodeled by Sir William Chambers. In 1825, when the building passed to George Ⅳ, he continued the renovations, and, from 1826 with the help of architect John Nash, began transforming Buckingham Palace into the building with which we are familiar today. These changes took around 75 years to implement. The first monarch to actually live there was Queen Victoria. Today, Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ, although it is also an administrative centre and a place in which the monarch hosts official receptions and events. Buckingham Palace also houses the offices of the Queen’s and the Duke of Edinburgh’s staff. In August and September, the nineteen State Rooms and some other sections of Buckingham Palace are open to the general public and to tourists. Here, visitors can see the Royal Collections, which include an incredible array of artwork as well as some of the finest English and French furniture. Audio guides are included in the ticket price and a visit usually lasts around two hours. One of the major attractions at Buckingham Palace is the ceremony of Changing the Guard. This takes place on a daily basis in summer at 11:30 am on the forecourt of the palace and on alternate days in winter. This ceremony lasts for 45 minutes. This site features as one of the Top 10 Tourist Attractions in the United Kingdom.