Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Review

It's rare to get a chance to see how the other half—well, other minute fraction—lives and works. But when the Queen heads off to Scotland on her annual summer holiday (you can tell because the Union Jack flies above the palace instead of the Royal Standard), the palace's 19 State Rooms open up to visitors (although the north wing's private apartments remain behind closed doors). With fabulous gilt moldings and walls adorned with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, and other old masters, the State Rooms are the grandest of the palace's 775 rooms.

Highlights

The Grand Hall, followed by the Grand Staircase and Guard Room, give a taste of the marble, gold leaf galore, and massive, twinkling chandeliers that embellish the palace. Don't miss the theatrical Throne Room, with the original 1953 coronation throne, or the sword in the Ballroom, used by the Queen to bestow knighthoods and other honors. Royal portraits line the State Dining Room, and the Blue Drawing Room is splendor in overdrive. The bow-shape Music Room features lapis lazuli columns between arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and the alabaster-and-gold plasterwork of the White Drawing Room is a dramatic crescendo. Spend some time ambling around the splendid gardens, a gorgeous epilogue to the visit.

The Changing the Guard, also known as Guard Mounting, remains one of London's best free shows and culminates in front of the palace. Marching to live bands, the old guard proceeds up the Mall from St. James's Palace to Buckingham Palace. Shortly afterward, the new guard approaches from Wellington Barracks. Then within the forecourt, the captains of the old and new guards symbolically transfer the keys to the palace.

Tips

If bought directly from the palace ticket office, tickets are valid for a repeat visit over the course of 12 months from the first visit, so you can return to Buckingham Palace for another installment. Admission is by timed ticket with entry every 15 minutes throughout the day. Allow up to two hours. A Royal Day Out ticket, available only in August and September, gives you the regal triple whammy of the Royal Mews, the Queen's Gallery, and the State Rooms, and is valid throughout the day. Tickets cost £31.95. Allow four hours. Get there by 10:30 to grab a spot in the best viewing section for the Changing the Guard (www.changing-the-guard.com), daily at 11:30 from May until the end of July (varies according to troop deployment requirements) and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting.