Buckingham Palace

ADDRESS: Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA

TEL: 020 7930 4832

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Buckingham Palace

Opened in 1703, Buckingham Palace is one of many palaces owned by the British Royal family and recognized predominantly as the principal workplace and official London residence of the Queen of England.

Situated in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality and as a tourist attraction, it is visited by millions each year. 

15 Facts About Buckingham Palace

• Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of British Monarchs in London, starting with Queen Victoria.
• The ballroom of the Palace was the largest room in the whole of London when it opened in 1856.
• Buckingham Palace has a total of 775 rooms, with 19 staterooms, 92 offices, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms and not forgetting 78 bathrooms!
• In Buckingham Palace, there are 760 windows, that are cleaned every six weeks and 1514 doors.
• The postcode for Buckingham Palace is SW1A 1AA. Similar to 10 Downing Street which is SW1A 2AA.
• The palace is named after the Duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield who became the Duke in 1703 and built Buckingham House for himself. Later in 1820, it was given a makeover by architect John Nash, who was ironically sacked for exceeding his budget.
• It was built on the site where in the 17th century, King James I planted mulberry bushes in an attempt to cultivate silkworms, however, he used the wrong type of bush and was unsuccessful in producing any silk.
• Queen Charlotte gave birth to fourteen of her fifteen children at the Palace.
• In 1837, Queen Victoria was the first monarch to name Buckingham Palace as her official residence.
• The only monarch to have both been born and died in the palace was King Edward VII who lived from 1841 to 1910.
• There are more than 40,000 light bulbs in the Palace.
• Along with ballrooms and banquet halls, the Palace has its very own cinema, pool, police station, chapel, doctor's surgery and a post office.
• There are more than 350 working clocks in the Palace. Has anyone got the time, please?
• Buckingham Palace was bombed no less than seven times during World War II, with one bomb reaching the courtyard, a short distance away from the King and Queen.
• Buckingham Palace has secret tunnels underneath it that link to nearby streets.