A stroll through the Crown’s front yard
Buckingham Palace
Yet another location I did not formally visit (admission will set you back a whooping £35!), what is today a palace began as a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired in 1761 by King George III for Queen Charlotte, to serve as a private refuge, and came to be known as The Queen’s House.
The building was expanded upon in the 19th century with designs by John Nash and Edward Blore, who added three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the royal residence in London upon Queen Victoria’s accession in 1837, who added the fourth (and last) wing to fully enclose the courtyard.
The palace has a grand total of 775 rooms, and its garden is the largest private garden in London.
The Mall is a roadway that leads from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, and it is bordered to the south by St James’s Park. It was designed by Aston Webb and completed as part of the construction of the Victoria Memorial in 1911. It was also the inspiration for the National Mall in Washington D.C.
St James’s Park is one of eight Royal Parks in Greater London, which are owned by the Crown and maintained by the Royal Parks charity.
Gold Colored Fox 