Buckingham Palace London England

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Buckingham Palace

 

Once a townhouse for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, the Buckingham Palace has enlarged through time and has become the official residence of the British monarch (officiated by Queen Victoria in 1837). Located in the City of Westminster, this palace, with its additions designed by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, has become a major tourist attraction, aside from being the primary setting for state occasions and rallying point for the British people.

Among the changes employed that led to the current image of the Buckingham Palace include the formation of three wings around a central courtyard and Queen's Gallery and the destruction of the palace chapel in World War II. A number of interior designs of the Buckingham Palace have been preserved.

The royal residence has the largest private garden in London, the Buckingham Palace garden, originally designed by Capability Brown and redesigned by William Townsend Aiton of Kew Gardens and John Nash. It has an artificial lake with water supplied from the River Serpentine.

Buckingham Palace currently houses the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the offices of the Royal Household. It is also a workplace of 450 people. A picture of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam is also interesting as it shows the difference between Dutch and British architecture from the past. Not a palace like the one above but for sure a remarkable building is the Kurhaus in Scheveningen in the Netherlands.