Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and serves as both home and office.
Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on state, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.
Find out more about the history of Buckingham Palace and how it is used today on the
British Monarchy Website.
What There Is To See
The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sevres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
The Palace's 39-acre garden is an oasis for wildlife, and visitors can enjoy a garden walk that offers superb views of the Garden Front of the Palace and the 19th-century lake.
A State Banquet
A special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace
29th July - 29th September 2008
For the first time ever and for this summer only, visitors to Buckingham Palace will experience the spectacle of the Ballroom set up for a State Banquet. Held in honour of a visiting Head of State, the State Banquet is the occasion when The Queen entertains around 170 guests on the first evening of a State Visit. During Her Majesty’s reign, 77 State Banquets have been held at Buckingham Palace, 17 at Windsor Castle and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The State Banquet at Windsor for the President of the French Republic and Madame Nicolas Sarkozy on 26 March will be the 96th hosted by The Queen since her accession in 1952.
At this year’s Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, the horseshoe-shaped table traditionally used at State Banquets will be set with dazzling silver-gilt from the Grand Service and adorned with magnificent flower arrangements. Lavish displays of tureens, dishes, ornamental cups and fine English and Continental porcelain will flank the table. Film footage will show the behind-the-scenes work of Royal Household staff, including chefs, footmen, pages, florists and housemaids, who ensure the highest standards of presentation and delivery.
Sumptuous banquets have always been an integral part of royal ceremonies and the traditional way to mark significant occasions, although the style of dining has changed considerably over the last two centuries. In the field of entertaining, as in so many others, no monarch has rivalled George IV. In 1811, when he became Prince Regent, he famously gave a supper for 3,000 people at his private residence, Carlton House. The single dining table, which extended the entire length of the building, incorporated a stream with live goldfish. Water issued from a fountain at the head of the table and fell through a succession of cascades into a circular lake surrounded by architectural features. While the displays and menus for State Banquets are now considerably more restrained – guests are typically served one choice for each of the four courses – George IV’s spectacular gilt tableware is still used.
The form of today’s State Banquet largely dates from the reign of Queen Victoria, who introduced the ceremony of the royal procession before the meal. Guests are first received by The Queen and the visiting Head of State in the Palace’s Music Room and proceed to the Ballroom. The royal procession, led by The Queen and the Head of State, then makes its way to the Banquet, preceded by the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord Steward. Before dinner is served, The Queen proposes the health of her guest, who replies and proposes The Queen’s health. During dinner, a programme of music is played by a military orchestra in the gallery, and at the end of the Banquet pipers process around the room. The Queen and the visiting Head of State leave through the West Gallery, and guests move to the State Dining Room and the Blue Drawing Room for coffee.
Entry to the display is included in admission to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.
The State Banquet display will be accompanied by the book For The Royal Table, published by Royal Collection Publications, price £9.95 (hardback).
Notes
• During visits, all visitors and their belongings will be subject to security checks. Photography, video recording, filming, smoking and eating are not permitted inside the buildings. Mobile phones should also be switched off.
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Wheel Chair Access: All locations are accessible to wheelchair users with the exception of the garden at Buckingham Palace. Also, with Buckingham Palace State Rooms an alternative entrance is used, as there are a number of stairs along the standard visitor route. It is therefore essential for the advisor to notify the Palace in advance of the visit if any wheelchair users will be coming. Please be aware that regrettably, if such access has not been pre-arranged, we cannot guarantee admission.
• Tickets must be exchanged for timed entry tickets at the Voucher Exchange Desk at the Buckingham Palace Ticket office on Buckingham Palace Road
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