Queen Elizabeth II surprised with the news of her definitive move to Windsor Castle, leaving behind decades of her reign at Buckingham Palace. This fortress located in London, has been the symbol of the monarchy since 1837 when the first monarch lived in its facilities.
Although Queen Elizabeth, 95, has spent most of her reign in Buckingham, she has a special connection with Windsor Castle, as she spent her last moments with her beloved husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is buried there, as are the Queen’s parents. Perhaps that emotional part led her to settle indefinitely in Windsor, but what is Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official residence, like?
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarchy, is located in Westminster, in central London. It was Queen Victoria, who in 1837 settled in this residence. When Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne, she showed some reluctance to live in Buckingham, she preferred to stay in Clarence House, the current residence of Prince Charles, but finally agreed to live in London.
How many rooms does Buckingham Palace have?
This royal palace is an impressive structure of 77 thousand square meters, which has 775 rooms.
The space is distributed as follows:
- 19 state rooms.
- 52 royal and guest rooms.
- 188 staff quarters.
- 92 offices.
- 78 bathrooms.
- A chapel.
- A post office.
- An indoor swimming pool.
- A staff cafeteria.
- An automatic teller machine.
- A medical office (equipped for surgical procedures).
- A movie theater.
It also has a 47-meter painting gallery that was commissioned by George IV and was designed by the architect John Nash. However, the king died before seeing the work completed.
The halls have high ceilings and impressive decoration, in these rooms are held official receptions and investiture ceremonies.
The audiences of Queen Elizabeth are held in a room located in the center of the palace, like the other rooms, enjoys the luxuries and comforts.
In this palace is the famous royal balcony. The same where William and Kate declared their love for each other with a tender kiss and where the whole family has gathered for official events.
