The Buckingham Palace

The Buckingham palace was originally a townhouse built by John Sheffield, the Duke of Buckingham, and a friend of Queen Anne. In 1703 she granted him the land at the corner of St James's Park and Green Park on which the Palace now stands. It was first known as Buckingham House. In 1762 King George III had the house redesigned by Sir William Chambers to more suit his needs and then again in 1820 King George IV carried more work to create a ‘palace’. However in 1826 he decided to hire John Nash to turn Buckingham House into a palace. This led to a doubling of the size of the main building. It was at this time that Marble Arch was created at the palace, later to be moved to its current location at the top of Park Lane. King George IV died in 1830 before the palace was finished and the construction was then completed by his brother William IV. John Nash was actually sacked before the work was finished because of spiraling costs. Edward Blore was commissioned for the completion of the original plans and some areas have been opened up to the public since the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992.

The areas were opened up in order to raise money towards the repairs and have remained open at certain times of the year (August and September) ever since. More than 600 rooms, including 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms comprise the castle's assets. But the "room" best known around the world is the balcony where the Royal family gathers on celebratory and solemn occasions to be seen by their subjects. The Palace is more than a home for the Royals. It is the official administrative headquarters of the monarchy and contains the offices of their staff. It is the place where all Royal ceremonies and official banquets are held. Government ministers, top civil servants and heads of state visit to carry out their duties. More than 50,000 people visit Buckingham Palace each year, either officially or as guests. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'working from home'.