Royal Attractions in London

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Royal Attractions in London

changing_guard.jpgLondon has been the official residence of the reigning British Monarchs since the 800's and proudly preserves its ceremonies and Royal buildings, this has made London the most popular and famous place for royal attractions. With its rich architecture, castles and palaces built and used by many of the Monarchs, London can’t be beaten for its royal connections.

Buckingham Palace, the most famous of the Palaces, is home to Her Majesty the Queen. Many tourists visit during the summer months when the State Rooms including the State Dining Room, Throne Room and Picture Gallery are open to the public. You can see some of the Royal art collection during the tour which includes famous painting by Rembrandt and Rubens. During the State Opening of Parliament the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in the golden Stage Coach. The Queen sits on a throne in the House of Lords and reads the ‘Queen's Speech’. Traditionally the monarch opens parliament in person every year.

The Jewel Tower is one of only two surviving parts of the original medieval Palace of Westminster, and houses an exhibition of English parliament past and present with robes from the collection of the Houses of Parliament. It was built in approximately 1365 to house the treasures of Edward III and features a 14th-century ribbed vault.

beefeater.jpgThe Tower of London is one of the oldest buildings in London and houses the Crown Jewels which are still used by the Royal Family and armour. The Tower is famous for its history of ill-fated royals who have died there, including Anne Boleyn and the Little Princes. Yeoman Warders (nicknamed Beefeaters) dress in Tudor-style uniforms and look after the tower and its famous residents, the Ravens. They are always willing to tell you stories about the Tower. Here they also hold the ceremony of the Keys. At night the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower meets the Escort of the Key dressed in the well-known Beefeater uniform and they tour the various gates ceremonially locking them, on returning to the Bloody Tower archway they are challenged by a sentry.

kensington_palace.jpgKensington Palace was built about 1605 and was a popular home of successive Royal Families and birthplace of Queen Victoria. Today it is best know as the former home of the Late Diana, Princess of Wales. Here you will find the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection including ceremonial and court dress and a selection of dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Spencer House was built about 1756 for the first Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. It is London’s only great 18th Century private palace to survive intact and recognised as one of the most ambitious aristocratic town houses ever built in London. John, the first Earl Spencer and his wife were prominent figures in London society, and during their lifetime Spencer House was often the setting for lavish entertainments. The Spencer family last lived in the House in 1926.

Changing the Guard is a popular spectacle performed on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Arch and the Tower of London depending on weather and season.  The handover of one Guard on duty to another is accompanied by a Guards band which plays not only traditional military marches but modern tunes too. The whole spectacle is enhanced by the wonderfully colourful uniforms and bearskins.

CoronationCoach.jpgThe Royal Mews are located in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, they were built to designs by John Nash and were completed in 1825. They are renowned as some of the finest working stables in existence. The Gold State Coach and other carriages, along with about 30 horses are housed there. These vehicles are still used today for British State occasions.

St. James's Palace was built in the 1500’s and was a residence of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. It remains the official residence of the Sovereign, although, since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, the Sovereign has lived at Buckingham Palace. In 1809, much of the east and south ranges of the Palace was destroyed by fire, but the State rooms were restored by 1813. The State Apartments of the Palace contain many beautiful items of furnishing. There are Mortlake tapestries and a fine display of arms and armour in the Armoury. The State Apartments also contain an interesting range of Royal portraits from the time of Henry VIII.

Plan your visit to Central London