Buckingham Palace is the centrepiece of the UK’s constitutional monarchy. He was built in 1703 as a private hotel. The architectural style is the « Neo classic ».

In 1761, George III bought Buckingham HouseBuckingham for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a comfortable family home close to St James’s Palace, where many court functions were held.

In 1826, George IV with his architect John Nash turned the house into a palace. Parliament agreed to a budget of £150,000,000.

The present forecourt of the Palace, where Changing the Guard takes place, was formed in 1911. The gates and railings were also completed in 1911.

Buckingham Palace is open to visitors every summer.

Security Breaches

The security in the Buckingham Palace is very hight but there were some incidents.

Michael Fagan (born 8 August 1948) is a British man who broke into Buckingham Palace and entered Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom in 1982. The incident was one of the 20th century’s worst royal security breaches.

The most incredible thing happened in 1837, when a twelve-year-old boy, nicknamed the cotton boy, managed to live for a year in the palace without everyone’s knowledge.

In 1994, a naked paraglider landed on the roof of the building.

Some figures…

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.