The main halls of the palace are located in the noble area, behind the east façade. The first thing that appears is the Music Room, whose large arch dominates the façade. Flanking it are the blue and white rooms. In the center, serving as a corridor that connects the State Rooms, is the Art Gallery, where works by Rembrandt, Anton Van Dyck, Rubens and Vermeer hang. The throne room and green room also open onto the gallery. The green room serves as an anteroom to the throne room, being part of the ceremonial route to the throne room from the guard room, at the top of the grand staircase. The guard hall contains a large marble statue of Prince Albert in Roman uniform. These rooms are used only in state and official ceremonies.

Just below the state area are some rooms known as semi-state rooms. They open onto the marble hall and are used in less formal events such as private audiences. Some were named and decorated for particular visits, such as the "1844 Hall", created in the year of the visit of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. In the center of this suite is the Arch Room, through which thousands of citizens pass every year for the parties given by the queen in the palace gardens. The queen uses a series of private rooms in the north wing.

Between 1847 and 1850, when Blore was building the east wing, the Brighton Pavilion was his reference, so many of the rooms in that new wing are decorated in an oriental style. The Chinese red and blue dining room is decorated with furniture from the Brighton banquet hall and music room, but has a fireplace, also from Brighton with an Indian rather than Chinese design. The Yellow Room has a mural from the century that was replaced in 1817 by the Brighton Room and the fireplace in this room is a European vision of what its equivalent would be like in China. In the center of this wing is the famous balcony with the glass doors of the central hall behind. This room is done in a Chinese style following the taste of Queen Mary in the late 1820s. Crossing the noble area of ​​the east wing is an immense gallery, known modestly as the main hallway. It has mirrored doors and walls reflecting porcelain pagodas and other oriental decorative elements. The Chinese dining room and the yellow room are at the end of the hall and the central room is obviously in the center.

Visits from heads of state today are accommodated in a suite known as the Belgian suite, which is located on the first floor of the north wing. These rooms were decorated for Prince Albert's uncle, Leopold I of Belgium. King Edward VIII lived in these quarters during his short reign.

During the current reign, court ceremonies have undergone a radical change and entry to the palace is not simply reserved for the upper class. Formal court dresses have been abolished. In other reigns, men who did not wear a military uniform had to wear a special costume of the century. At night, women had to wear dresses with trains and tiaras on their heads. This sartorial rigidity continued until the First World War, when Queen Mary decided to follow the fashion by shortening her skirt. Previously, she had requested a cutting lady to cut the skirt to see her husband's reaction. King George V was horrified and the queen's skirt remained out of fashion. George VI and Isabella were more followers of fashion and were allowed to wear the skirts of the moment.

In 1924, Labor Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald was the first man greeted by a monarch inside the palace wearing a suit; however, it was a special concession. Evening dresses remained mandatory until World War II.

Currently, the majority of men invited to Buckingham wear a suit during the day and at night, depending on the occasion, they wear a black or white tie. If the occasion is white tie, women, if they have one, must wear a tiara even if there is no established dress code.

One of the biggest changes came in 1958 when the Queen abolished public appearances. In these presentations in society, young aristocrats were presented to the monarch. It took place in the Throne Room. The young ladies entered and bowed, then moved backwards performing a choreography with the trains of their dress (which had a certain length) and repeated the bow before the queen. Princess Margaret even said: "we had to put an end to it, all the tarts in London were participating in them."[10]

The ceremony was very pompous and the queen decided to eliminate it because she considered it elitist and typical of antiquity. They were replaced by garden parties, which were more frequent and attended by a wider spectrum of British society. The throne room is currently used for special visits to the queen such as recently at her jubilee. It is in this room where photographs of royal weddings are taken.

The investitures, which include the appointments of knights, with the traditional imposition of the sword are held in the Victorian Ballroom, built in 1854. With dimensions of 37 by 20 meters, it is the largest room in the palace. It has replaced the throne room in importance and use. During the investitures, the queen does not sit on the throne, but stands in front of the platform, under a large domed velvet pavilion called a shamiana or baldachin that was used at the coronation of George V as emperor at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. A military band plays in the musicians' gallery while those receiving decorations approach the queen and receive their honors, being watched by their families and friends. The Beatles were the first non-established artists to receive honors.

Gala banquets also take place in the ballroom. These dinners take place on the first night of the visiting heads of state's stay. On these occasions, more than 150 guests attend with white ties and the women with tiaras. Dinner is served on gold dishes. The largest and most formal reception that takes place at Buckingham Palace is in November, when the Queen receives the diplomatic corps resident in London. On this occasion all the state rooms are used, as the royal family passes through them all, starting a procession through the large north doors of the painting gallery. Just as Nash had planned, the mirrored doors are held open, reflecting the light from the crystal chandeliers, giving a feeling of light and space.

Other smaller ceremonies take place in Room 1844. Lunches and sometimes meetings are held there. Other larger luncheons take place in the vaulted music hall, or in the state dining room. On all formal occasions employees wear special clothing.

Since the bombing of the chapel in World War II, family liturgical celebrations have taken place in the music room. The queen's first three children were baptized there, in a special golden font. Prince William was baptized in the same hall but his brother was baptized in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

The biggest ceremonies of the year are the garden parties, where 9,000 people gather for tea and sandwiches. Once the guests arrive, the national anthem plays and the queen comes out from the arch hall. He goes through the guests, greeting some previously selected guests and inviting them to a special area to drink tea. If guests are not lucky enough to meet the queen, they at least have the satisfaction of admiring the gardens.

Security in the palace is very high, but the important failures it has had stand out. As a security measure there is no detailed modern plan of the layout of the palace. The royal guard that is located in the front of the palace normally performs in ceremonies. However, its main function is security. There is also a police station in the palace and members of the royal family have their own bodyguards. Other security measures have not been disclosed. Within a radius of 1.2 kilometers there are three barracks.

An anti-bombing alarm was placed during World War II and more recently a bunker was built in response to the terrorist threat. Some rumors establish that the bunker is connected to the Victoria line of the metro network, which passes next to the palace, to allow an evacuation of the royal family in the event of a nuclear attack. However, this point has not been confirmed.

The most notorious incident occurred in 1982 when Michael Fagan entered the Queen's bedroom while she was sleeping. In 2003, a Daily Mirror reporter worked for two weeks as a butler in Buckingham. One of the references he included in his curriculum vitae was false and, it seems, was not verified. The incident coincided with a visit by United States President George W. Bush to the United Kingdom. Bush resided in the palace and the Daily Mirror published photos of his bedroom as well as the queen's breakfast table and the Duke of York's bedroom. The photos show nothing more interesting than the fact that the queen keeps her cereal in Tupperware and her children have conventional taste in decorating the furniture in their room. The palace took the newspaper to court, accusing it of breach of privacy, and the newspaper returned the material and paid the court costs.

Most security breaches have taken place outside the palace. In 1981, three German tourists camped in the palace gardens after scaling the fence, supposedly thinking they were in Hyde Park. In 1993, anti-nuclear protesters scaled the palace walls and sat on the palace esplanade. In 1994, a naked parachutist landed on the roof of the palace.

More recently, in 2004, a divorced father climbed a pillar near the ceremonial balcony dressed as Batman. Another of the protesters, this time dressed as Robin "Robin (DC Comics)"), was caught before climbing. He returned in November dressed as Santa Claus and chained himself to one of the main doors.

Historically there have been significant security failures. Probably the most incredible occurred in 1837 when a 12-year-old boy tried to live for a year in the palace without being detected. As he hid in chimneys, he dirty the beds where he slept and in this way he could be apprehended. Of the eight assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, at least three occurred in the vicinity of the palace gates. Throughout its history, many people have been intercepted on the palace grounds, including one who wanted to propose to Princess Anne and who was declared mentally ill.

Apart from being the residence of the king, the palace is the workplace of 450 people. Every year, about 50 thousand people are received at garden parties, receptions, audiences and banquets. Buckingham also hosts the changing of the guard, a daily ceremony in summer and every few days in winter. In 2003, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, thousands of Britons were invited to a pop and classical music concert in the palace gardens. At both, champagne and a picnic were offered.

The festival's opening of the palace's noble halls to the public marked a big change compared to the 1990s. The money collected from the tickets was initially used to rebuild Windsor Castle, which had burned. Every summer, in the months of August and September, the west wing opens to the public. About 200 workers, mainly students, are employed at this time. The 2006 route was changed for presentation and safety reasons.

Contrary to popular opinion, the palace is not the property of the king. Buckingham, Windsor and the art collections (Royal Collection) are property of the nation. The art collections can be visited on certain dates of the year.

The mall (The Mall "The Mall (London)")), is the ceremonial access path to the palace. It extends from the arch of the Ministry of the Navy and runs around the Victoria Monument until entering the palace grounds. The reddish color of the pavement is reminiscent of the red carpets that were rolled out in previous times. This route is used by the caravans of heads of state visiting the United Kingdom and also by the royal family at state celebrations such as the opening of parliament. On these occasions, the caravans pass through the Arch of the Ministry of the Navy and travel through the Mall that has previously been closed to traffic, almost always creating traffic chaos in the city.

In the surroundings of the palace are its gardens. They are the largest private gardens in London. The landscape was designed by Capability Brown although it would later be redesigned. The large artificial lake was completed in 1828 and is fed by water from the Serpentine. Like the palace itself, the garden is filled with works of art. One of the most important is the Waterloo Vase "Waterloo (Belgium)"), a large urn created by Napoleon to celebrate his early victory, which was given unfinished in 1815 to George IV. The king ordered the work to be completed, thinking of placing it in the Waterloo room of Windsor Castle, but the weight (15 tons) made it impossible to place it in a building.

Adjacent to the garden are the Royal Coach Houses, where the carriages, including the golden carriage, are kept. This Rococo style carriage was designed in 1760. It was first used at the opening of parliament in 1762 and is only used at coronations or anniversaries.

There is now the option to visit the rooms of the Palace.

The flags at Buckingham Palace vary according to court movements and tradition. The king's Flag Sergeant is the person in charge of all the flags that fly in the palace. Until 1997 the only flag that flew was the royal standard, the official flag of the British sovereign which flew when the sovereign was in the palace. Even in times of mourning, the banner does not fly at half-mast. When only another flag flies in the palace is in the event of the death of the monarch, which is when the new king's flag will be raised. In 1952, the Queen Mother's banner was raised because the heir to the throne was still at Clarence House.

This tradition changed in 1997, after the death of Princess Diana of Wales, as there was great popular discontent because the flag did not fly at half-mast. The queen was at Balmoral Castle at the time, which is why there was no flag flying in the palace. But, in response to public opinion, the queen ordered breaking protocol and the Union Jack was then hung at half-mast until the day of the funeral. From that moment on, the official flag of the British sovereign flies when he is in the palace and it is the flag of the United Kingdom that is raised when he is not there. In cases of death of members of the royal family or national misfortunes, the flag hangs at half-mast.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Edinburgh, as well as the Earls of Wessex, resided in the palace. The royal office is also located there. Compared to other British castles and palaces, Buckingham is relatively new, although it symbolizes the British monarchy. At the end of the world wars, large groups of people gathered under the royal balcony. An estimated one million people flocked to Buckingham on the 50th anniversary of the Queen's coronation. Within those celebrations, guitarist Brian May "Brian May (Queen)") played the British royal anthem "God Save The Queen" from the top of the palace.

King Charles III has preferred to maintain his residence at Clarence House.

In July 2021, for the first time in its history, Elizabeth II opened the palace gardens to the public so that visitors could stroll through them, until September 19, 2021.[1].

• - Windsor Castle, official residence in England.

• - Holyrood Palace, official residence in Scotland.

• - Hillsborough Castle, official residence in Northern Ireland.

• - Palace of Westminster, royal residence from 1049 to 1530.

• - Whitehall Palace, royal residence from 1530 to 1698.

• - St. James's Palace, royal residence from 1702 to 1837.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery on Buckingham Palace.

• - Buckingham Palace official website Archived January 27, 2009 at the Wayback Machine.

• - Buckingham Palace visitors guide.

• - Images of the Belgian suite.

• - One's home is a dump (March 22, 2005).

The main halls of the palace are located in the noble area, behind the east façade. The first thing that appears is the Music Room, whose large arch dominates the façade. Flanking it are the blue and white rooms. In the center, serving as a corridor that connects the State Rooms, is the Art Gallery, where works by Rembrandt, Anton Van Dyck, Rubens and Vermeer hang. The throne room and green room also open onto the gallery. The green room serves as an anteroom to the throne room, being part of the ceremonial route to the throne room from the guard room, at the top of the grand staircase. The guard hall contains a large marble statue of Prince Albert in Roman uniform. These rooms are used only in state and official ceremonies.

Just below the state area are some rooms known as semi-state rooms. They open onto the marble hall and are used in less formal events such as private audiences. Some were named and decorated for particular visits, such as the "1844 Hall", created in the year of the visit of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. In the center of this suite is the Arch Room, through which thousands of citizens pass every year for the parties given by the queen in the palace gardens. The queen uses a series of private rooms in the north wing.

Between 1847 and 1850, when Blore was building the east wing, the Brighton Pavilion was his reference, so many of the rooms in that new wing are decorated in an oriental style. The Chinese red and blue dining room is decorated with furniture from the Brighton banquet hall and music room, but has a fireplace, also from Brighton with an Indian rather than Chinese design. The Yellow Room has a mural from the century that was replaced in 1817 by the Brighton Room and the fireplace in this room is a European vision of what its equivalent would be like in China. In the center of this wing is the famous balcony with the glass doors of the central hall behind. This room is done in a Chinese style following the taste of Queen Mary in the late 1820s. Crossing the noble area of ​​the east wing is an immense gallery, known modestly as the main hallway. It has mirrored doors and walls reflecting porcelain pagodas and other oriental decorative elements. The Chinese dining room and the yellow room are at the end of the hall and the central room is obviously in the center.

Visits from heads of state today are accommodated in a suite known as the Belgian suite, which is located on the first floor of the north wing. These rooms were decorated for Prince Albert's uncle, Leopold I of Belgium. King Edward VIII lived in these quarters during his short reign.

During the current reign, court ceremonies have undergone a radical change and entry to the palace is not simply reserved for the upper class. Formal court dresses have been abolished. In other reigns, men who did not wear a military uniform had to wear a special costume of the century. At night, women had to wear dresses with trains and tiaras on their heads. This sartorial rigidity continued until the First World War, when Queen Mary decided to follow the fashion by shortening her skirt. Previously, she had requested a cutting lady to cut the skirt to see her husband's reaction. King George V was horrified and the queen's skirt remained out of fashion. George VI and Isabella were more followers of fashion and were allowed to wear the skirts of the moment.

In 1924, Labor Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald was the first man greeted by a monarch inside the palace wearing a suit; however, it was a special concession. Evening dresses remained mandatory until World War II.

Currently, the majority of men invited to Buckingham wear a suit during the day and at night, depending on the occasion, they wear a black or white tie. If the occasion is white tie, women, if they have one, must wear a tiara even if there is no established dress code.

One of the biggest changes came in 1958 when the Queen abolished public appearances. In these presentations in society, young aristocrats were presented to the monarch. It took place in the Throne Room. The young ladies entered and bowed, then moved backwards performing a choreography with the trains of their dress (which had a certain length) and repeated the bow before the queen. Princess Margaret even said: "we had to put an end to it, all the tarts in London were participating in them."[10]

The ceremony was very pompous and the queen decided to eliminate it because she considered it elitist and typical of antiquity. They were replaced by garden parties, which were more frequent and attended by a wider spectrum of British society. The throne room is currently used for special visits to the queen such as recently at her jubilee. It is in this room where photographs of royal weddings are taken.

The investitures, which include the appointments of knights, with the traditional imposition of the sword are held in the Victorian Ballroom, built in 1854. With dimensions of 37 by 20 meters, it is the largest room in the palace. It has replaced the throne room in importance and use. During the investitures, the queen does not sit on the throne, but stands in front of the platform, under a large domed velvet pavilion called a shamiana or baldachin that was used at the coronation of George V as emperor at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. A military band plays in the musicians' gallery while those receiving decorations approach the queen and receive their honors, being watched by their families and friends. The Beatles were the first non-established artists to receive honors.

Gala banquets also take place in the ballroom. These dinners take place on the first night of the visiting heads of state's stay. On these occasions, more than 150 guests attend with white ties and the women with tiaras. Dinner is served on gold dishes. The largest and most formal reception that takes place at Buckingham Palace is in November, when the Queen receives the diplomatic corps resident in London. On this occasion all the state rooms are used, as the royal family passes through them all, starting a procession through the large north doors of the painting gallery. Just as Nash had planned, the mirrored doors are held open, reflecting the light from the crystal chandeliers, giving a feeling of light and space.

Other smaller ceremonies take place in Room 1844. Lunches and sometimes meetings are held there. Other larger luncheons take place in the vaulted music hall, or in the state dining room. On all formal occasions employees wear special clothing.

Since the bombing of the chapel in World War II, family liturgical celebrations have taken place in the music room. The queen's first three children were baptized there, in a special golden font. Prince William was baptized in the same hall but his brother was baptized in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

The biggest ceremonies of the year are the garden parties, where 9,000 people gather for tea and sandwiches. Once the guests arrive, the national anthem plays and the queen comes out from the arch hall. He goes through the guests, greeting some previously selected guests and inviting them to a special area to drink tea. If guests are not lucky enough to meet the queen, they at least have the satisfaction of admiring the gardens.

Security in the palace is very high, but the important failures it has had stand out. As a security measure there is no detailed modern plan of the layout of the palace. The royal guard that is located in the front of the palace normally performs in ceremonies. However, its main function is security. There is also a police station in the palace and members of the royal family have their own bodyguards. Other security measures have not been disclosed. Within a radius of 1.2 kilometers there are three barracks.

An anti-bombing alarm was placed during World War II and more recently a bunker was built in response to the terrorist threat. Some rumors establish that the bunker is connected to the Victoria line of the metro network, which passes next to the palace, to allow an evacuation of the royal family in the event of a nuclear attack. However, this point has not been confirmed.

The most notorious incident occurred in 1982 when Michael Fagan entered the Queen's bedroom while she was sleeping. In 2003, a Daily Mirror reporter worked for two weeks as a butler in Buckingham. One of the references he included in his curriculum vitae was false and, it seems, was not verified. The incident coincided with a visit by United States President George W. Bush to the United Kingdom. Bush resided in the palace and the Daily Mirror published photos of his bedroom as well as the queen's breakfast table and the Duke of York's bedroom. The photos show nothing more interesting than the fact that the queen keeps her cereal in Tupperware and her children have conventional taste in decorating the furniture in their room. The palace took the newspaper to court, accusing it of breach of privacy, and the newspaper returned the material and paid the court costs.

Most security breaches have taken place outside the palace. In 1981, three German tourists camped in the palace gardens after scaling the fence, supposedly thinking they were in Hyde Park. In 1993, anti-nuclear protesters scaled the palace walls and sat on the palace esplanade. In 1994, a naked parachutist landed on the roof of the palace.

More recently, in 2004, a divorced father climbed a pillar near the ceremonial balcony dressed as Batman. Another of the protesters, this time dressed as Robin "Robin (DC Comics)"), was caught before climbing. He returned in November dressed as Santa Claus and chained himself to one of the main doors.

Historically there have been significant security failures. Probably the most incredible occurred in 1837 when a 12-year-old boy tried to live for a year in the palace without being detected. As he hid in chimneys, he dirty the beds where he slept and in this way he could be apprehended. Of the eight assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, at least three occurred in the vicinity of the palace gates. Throughout its history, many people have been intercepted on the palace grounds, including one who wanted to propose to Princess Anne and who was declared mentally ill.

Apart from being the residence of the king, the palace is the workplace of 450 people. Every year, about 50 thousand people are received at garden parties, receptions, audiences and banquets. Buckingham also hosts the changing of the guard, a daily ceremony in summer and every few days in winter. In 2003, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, thousands of Britons were invited to a pop and classical music concert in the palace gardens. At both, champagne and a picnic were offered.

The festival's opening of the palace's noble halls to the public marked a big change compared to the 1990s. The money collected from the tickets was initially used to rebuild Windsor Castle, which had burned. Every summer, in the months of August and September, the west wing opens to the public. About 200 workers, mainly students, are employed at this time. The 2006 route was changed for presentation and safety reasons.

Contrary to popular opinion, the palace is not the property of the king. Buckingham, Windsor and the art collections (Royal Collection) are property of the nation. The art collections can be visited on certain dates of the year.

The mall (The Mall "The Mall (London)")), is the ceremonial access path to the palace. It extends from the arch of the Ministry of the Navy and runs around the Victoria Monument until entering the palace grounds. The reddish color of the pavement is reminiscent of the red carpets that were rolled out in previous times. This route is used by the caravans of heads of state visiting the United Kingdom and also by the royal family at state celebrations such as the opening of parliament. On these occasions, the caravans pass through the Arch of the Ministry of the Navy and travel through the Mall that has previously been closed to traffic, almost always creating traffic chaos in the city.

In the surroundings of the palace are its gardens. They are the largest private gardens in London. The landscape was designed by Capability Brown although it would later be redesigned. The large artificial lake was completed in 1828 and is fed by water from the Serpentine. Like the palace itself, the garden is filled with works of art. One of the most important is the Waterloo Vase "Waterloo (Belgium)"), a large urn created by Napoleon to celebrate his early victory, which was given unfinished in 1815 to George IV. The king ordered the work to be completed, thinking of placing it in the Waterloo room of Windsor Castle, but the weight (15 tons) made it impossible to place it in a building.

Adjacent to the garden are the Royal Coach Houses, where the carriages, including the golden carriage, are kept. This Rococo style carriage was designed in 1760. It was first used at the opening of parliament in 1762 and is only used at coronations or anniversaries.

There is now the option to visit the rooms of the Palace.

The flags at Buckingham Palace vary according to court movements and tradition. The king's Flag Sergeant is the person in charge of all the flags that fly in the palace. Until 1997 the only flag that flew was the royal standard, the official flag of the British sovereign which flew when the sovereign was in the palace. Even in times of mourning, the banner does not fly at half-mast. When only another flag flies in the palace is in the event of the death of the monarch, which is when the new king's flag will be raised. In 1952, the Queen Mother's banner was raised because the heir to the throne was still at Clarence House.

This tradition changed in 1997, after the death of Princess Diana of Wales, as there was great popular discontent because the flag did not fly at half-mast. The queen was at Balmoral Castle at the time, which is why there was no flag flying in the palace. But, in response to public opinion, the queen ordered breaking protocol and the Union Jack was then hung at half-mast until the day of the funeral. From that moment on, the official flag of the British sovereign flies when he is in the palace and it is the flag of the United Kingdom that is raised when he is not there. In cases of death of members of the royal family or national misfortunes, the flag hangs at half-mast.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Edinburgh, as well as the Earls of Wessex, resided in the palace. The royal office is also located there. Compared to other British castles and palaces, Buckingham is relatively new, although it symbolizes the British monarchy. At the end of the world wars, large groups of people gathered under the royal balcony. An estimated one million people flocked to Buckingham on the 50th anniversary of the Queen's coronation. Within those celebrations, guitarist Brian May "Brian May (Queen)") played the British royal anthem "God Save The Queen" from the top of the palace.

King Charles III has preferred to maintain his residence at Clarence House.

In July 2021, for the first time in its history, Elizabeth II opened the palace gardens to the public so that visitors could stroll through them, until September 19, 2021.[1].

• - Windsor Castle, official residence in England.

• - Holyrood Palace, official residence in Scotland.

• - Hillsborough Castle, official residence in Northern Ireland.

• - Palace of Westminster, royal residence from 1049 to 1530.

• - Whitehall Palace, royal residence from 1530 to 1698.

• - St. James's Palace, royal residence from 1702 to 1837.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery on Buckingham Palace.

• - Buckingham Palace official website Archived January 27, 2009 at the Wayback Machine.

• - Buckingham Palace visitors guide.

• - Images of the Belgian suite.

• - One's home is a dump (March 22, 2005).