Tourist Guide to London England's Buckingham Palace

London has many tourist sites. Some of the most popular London tourist sites are the castles and royal residences. Of all the royal residences the most famous by far is the London residence of Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace is located at SW1A 1AA in London England. On the tour of the palace you will learn that it was first built in 1705 and not originally for the king but for the Duke of Buckingham. It was later purchased by King George the 3rd. Buckingham Palace was not the official royal palace until Queen Victoria.

Since the reign of Queen Victoria Buckingham Palace has been a place of great public interest. Buckingham Palace is often where the British celebrate as well as a place of mourning.

The palace itself is not always open to the public but you can always go to see it. During the summer you can see the Changing of the Guard daily and in the winter it is done every other day. The guards are world famous for standing at the gate protecting the royal family and there ability to stay perfectly still no mater what. Even if the palace is not open to visitors most visitors still come to at least get some pictures of Buckingham Palace by the gate and a picture with one of the guards.

Buckingham Palace itself is actually owned by the British government not the royal family. However the art, furniture, and other belonging in the palace or owned by the royal family. These possessions are known as the Royal Collection and you can see some of them on display at Buckingham Palace in the Queen's Gallery. Regardless of whether the palace itself is open the Queen's Gallery is always open to the public and is constantly changing its displays. So even if you can not get into Buckingham Palace you can get onto the grounds and see some of the Royal Collection.

If you want to make sure you can get into Buckingham Palace then you will want to go in August and September. There is a small fee and you get to see only a limited number of state rooms. You will not be able to see the Queen though. This is also the same time you can get to see a small part of the Gardens as well. You will want to allow plenty of time and get to Buckingham Palace early as it is a very popular tourist destination with very limited times. If you have been to the White House you will know how hard it is to get a tour. Buckingham Palace is even more difficult to get in then the White House since it open so such a limited number of days to the public.

If you really want to go inside Buckingham Palace you had better be prepared to wait and make sure you go at the right time. Even if you are unable to go inside the palace you can still take pictures, see the Changing of the Guards, and even get to go on the grounds of the palace. Even when you can not enter Buckingham Palace it is still a very crowded tourist spot but with such a big area around the palace you should have no problem getting some good pictures and even some pictures with the guards. Seeing Buckingham Palace is a major part of any trip to England and should not be missed.