Buckingham Palace (photo at left) is the principal residence of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth has three official residences - in addition to Buckingham Palace she also spends time at Windsor Castle (most weekends and holidays) located about 40 minutes west of London and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (photo below).
We will definitely see two out of the three (BP and P of H) on our trip - no matter which vacation we choose and we may be able to see the third castle on an optional excursion. There are certain must-see sites included in every vacation and then there are other special offerings at an additional cost. Sometimes it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site. Windsor Castle is one of the optional excursions available. Another popular optional in dinner in London followed by an evening cruise on the River Thames. Dan and I took that optional on our trip a few years ago and I think he would agree it was one of the highlights. There will probably be 5-6 optional excursions offered - a few in London and a few in Edinburgh. It's nice because you get to pick and choose and personalize our vacation. We don't all have to do the same optionals either. We can hand-pick the excursions that appeal to each of us. Here are a few fun facts about Buckingham Palace:
- Queen Victoria was the first monarch to reside in Buckingham Palace.
- Buckingham Palace is located in the City of Westminster. There will be more fun facts about Westminster in a future post.
- During the 1940 Blitz of London, the Germans bombed Buckingham Palace seven times.
- Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
- A flag always flies above each of the Queen's official residences. When The Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flies (see below). When the Sovereign is not present, the Union Jack flag flies instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment