In Residence: British Royal Palaces In Residence: British Royal Palaces By Mandy's Royalty Tuesday, August 25, 1998 0 Royal Residence No tags Permalink 0 In Residence: British Royal Palaces Check out this handy-dandy map of the locations of royal homes across the UK (click to enlarge). Buckingham Palace “Buck House” – as it is affectionately known – is the official seat of HM The Queen. It evolved from a much smaller home that was owned by the Dukes of Buckingham, for whom it was named. In 1761, King George III bought Buckingham House, as it was known then, for his wife Queen Charlotte. His Majesty liked the house for its close proximity to St. James’s Palace where official state business was carried out at the time. The residence then became known as the “Queen’s House”, where fourteen of George III’s fifteen children were born! Buckingham Palace became the official residence of the sovereign in July 1837, when a newly crowned Queen Victoria moved in. It has been the official site of the Monarch and their state business ever since.

It became so iconic that when it was suggested that Windsor become Queen Elizabeth II’s official residence, Winston Churchill had a good grumble about it. He insisted that Buckingham Palace was to be the site for the Head of State. Did you know? Though the monarch lives and works in Buckingham Palace, St. James’s remains the formal “official palace of the Sovereign” and is the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace has had numerous additions throughout the years. Today, the room count stands at 775. It houses the offices of the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, and other various members of the Royal Family. It is also the scene of many official ceremonies such as Jubilees, the receiving of loyal addresses, State Visits and Investitures. Official wedding photographs of numerous Royal Family members are taken in the Throne Room. The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place outside Buckingham Palace at 11:30 am every day from May to July. It takes place on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. Information on the opening of State Rooms: royalcollection.org.uk Windsor Castle Situated in the town of Windsor, it is the largest occupied castle in the world.

It has been a private home as well as a piece of history, built over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror. Windsor contains the most valuable pieces of art in the world, including paintings, sculptures, and furniture. Its fourteenth-century chapel, named for England’s patron Saint George, has been the site of several memorable weddings. The Queen, as a young princess, lived at Windsor Castle during the war years with her little sister Princess Margaret. The children had been stationed here for their own safety, far from London where the Nazis dropped continuous bombs. It was a shot to the heart for Elizabeth when, in 1992, a lamp overturned and set a curtain alight, burning a large portion of Windsor’s majestic rooms. Her childhood home suffered £30-40m worth of damage. Thankfully, many of the paintings and tapestries were saved. To honor those who had helped battle the blaze and rescue valuable items, new stained glass was added in the chapel bearing the images of volunteers and firemen. St. James’s Palace The walls of this palace housed many a monarch in its time. Built in the 1530s, St.

James has long been the “senior” royal palace, and is often in use for official functions. Unlike Windsor and Buckingham Palace, it is not open to the public. King William IV, uncle of Queen Victoria, was the last Sovereign to use St. James’s Palace as a residence. It is still considered a senior royal palace and the Prince of Wales’s offices are located here, as well as the press office for Princes William and Harry. The site was brought into the royal orbit when King Henry VIII acquired it from Eton College. He renovated the building into a ‘magnificent and goodly house’, making it the principal official palace of the Sovereign. Over time, St. James’s has functioned as an official palace as well as a home, and sometimes it has been a private home only. Mary Tudor, Henry’s daughter with Catherine of Aragon, preferred to use St. James’s as a private residence as queen while conducting most official business at Whitehall. Balmoral Balmoral Castle is located on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was a favorite of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.

The rolling hills of Scotland reminded Albert of his native Thuringia in Germany, and they came here often with their large brood of children to escape the congested life of London. This castle is still a firm favorite of the Royal Family, and it is their vacation spot during the summer holiday period in August and September. The Queen still “does the boxes” full of official paperwork while at Balmoral, though. A Queen’s work is never done! The original Balmoral Castle was built in the fifteenth century, but it was considered too small for Queen Victoria and her nine children. Instead, a new castle, which we recognize as Balmoral today, was constructed near the original site. The Ultimate Guide to Visiting St James's Palace | Strawberry Tours The Ultimate Guide to Visiting St James's Palace 4/5 Stars Based on 89 Reviews Open 24 hours: (to view) Time needed: 30 min Price: Free With the nearby Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, St. James's Palace often gets lost in the midst of other famous royal landmarks in London. But believe it or not, St.

James's Palace has been a key location for many important events in London's history, not to mention it's the most senior royal palace in the UK. The palace was built by Henry VIII between 1531 and 1536, and its name was derived from the leper hospital that once stood in its spot in the 11th century. Its original Tudor-style red-brick building and interior can still be seen today, however, much of the palace was destroyed by a fire in 1809, and as a result a majority of the original palace was remodelled during the 19th century. The palace was meant to be used by Henry VIII as a residence to “escape formal court life,” and you can still see the initials “H.A.” (for Henry and his second wife Anne) decorated on a couple of the Tudor fireplaces in the state apartments. However, many sad events took place inside the palace as well, such as the death of two of Henry VIII’s children, one of which being his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, who lived in the Palace until 1536.

Both Charles II and James II were born and baptised in the palace, as well as Mary II, Queen Anne and James Francis Edward Stuart. Mary I and Elizabeth I often spent the night in St. James's Palace, and Charles I spent his last night inside the palace before he was executed. Charles II restored the palace around the same time that he was designing the nearby St. James’s Park, and during this time it became a principal residence for the monarch; (especially after Whitehall Palace was destroyed by a fire). St. James’s Palace was also an important location for many monarch-related events, such as Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, and their oldest child (Princess Victoria) married her husband Prince Frederick of Prussia inside the palace as well. Charles I took his communion the morning of his execution inside the Chapel Royal, and William and Mary as well as George III and Queen Charlotte, Victoria and Albert and George V and Queen Mary all got married here. Not only that, Prince George (the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton) was recently christened here in a family ceremony as well.

Today the Royal Court is based inside the palace, and the Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugene of York and Princess Alexandra call St. James’s Palace home. The palace is also used for official receptions (such as for visiting heads of state or royal-related charities). St James's Palace Highlights Although St. James's Palace is the official residence of the sovereign, no monarch lives in St. James’s Palace today. However, it is still used as a ceremonial meeting place for the Accession Council, and is the residence of minor members of the royal family, like Princesses Beatrice and Eugene of York and Princess Alexandra. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall live in Clarence House, which is attached to St. James’s Palace as well. Inside St. James’s Palace you will see four courts (now known as Ambassador’s Court, Engine Court, Friary Court and Colour Court). There is also a north gatehouse which consists of four storeys as well as two crenelated flanking octagonal towers and a central clock. The clock was added later in 1731, and was decorated with the initials “H.A.” for Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn.

You can also still see Henry VIII’s royal cipher “H.R.” at the Tudor gatehouse at the south side of St. James’s Street, which is located near the original foot passages leading to Colour Court. The palace is also part of a “sprawling complex” of different buildings which house court offices as well as official apartments. One of which includes York House, (the former residence of Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry), and next door lies Lancaster House, which is used for official receptions. Also nearby is Clarence House, which was the home of the late Queen Mother, although now it is the official residence of the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Parker-Bowles). Special Tips To get a good viewing spot for The Changing of the Guard, avoid Buckingham Palace altogether and try to get as close to Friary Court as possible. This way you can avoid the crowds and stand as close as ten feet away from the guards as soon as the band starts marching.

Make sure you get a photo of the guards standing outside the main entrance Check the official website to see if the Chapel Royal or Queen's Chapel are open to the public during your visit to London Getting There Royal Residences - British Monarchist League British Monarchist League Contact Royal Residences Throughout the centuries, Britain's kings and queens have built or bought palaces to serve as family homes, workplaces and as centres of government. Some of these are still being used today as official Royal residences and many can be visited by the general public. The residences still standing today can be roughly divided into three categories: Official Royal residences which are held in trust for future generations. As well as being family homes for members of the Royal Family, these are also working buildings which are used for housing the offices of staff from the Royal Household, entertaining official guests and hosting formal events and ceremonies. The best-known of these residences are probably Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Private Estates are owned by The Queen and are often used to generate private income through farming or public access to Royal residences, they also house some well-known private residences such as Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House.

Unoccupied Royal residences are all other buildings in Great Britain which once housed members of the Royal Family and are therefore of historical interest. These buildings are owned by numerous bodies and individuals and many are open to the general public. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace - has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every year. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high. The Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of Britain's constitutional monarchy. It houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family.

The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household. Although Buckingham Palace is furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the Royal Collection, one of the major art collections in the world today. It is not an art gallery and nor is it a museum. Its State Rooms form the nucleus of the working Palace and are used regularly by The Queen and members of the Royal Family for official and State entertaining. More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties. For those who do receive an invitation to Buckingham Palace, the first step across the threshold is into the Grand Hall and up the curving marble stairs of the Grand Staircase. Portraits are still set in the walls, as they were by Queen Victoria. The Throne Room, sometimes used during Queen Victoria's reign for Court gatherings and as a second dancing room, is dominated by a proscenium arch supported by a pair of winged figures of 'victory' holding garlands above the 'chairs of state'.

It is in the Throne Room that The Queen, on very special occasions like Jubilees, receives loyal addresses. Another use of the Throne Room has been for formal wedding photographs. George IV's original palace lacked a large room in which to entertain. Queen Victoria rectified that shortcoming by adding in 1853-5 what was, at the time of its construction, the largest room in London. At 36.6m long, 18m wide and 13.5m high, the Ballroom is the largest multi-purpose room in Buckingham Palace. It was opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War. It is along the East Gallery that The Queen and her State guests process to the Ballroom for the State Banquet normally held on the first day of the visit. Around 150 guests are invited and include members of the Royal Family, the government and other political leaders, High Commissioners and Ambassadors and prominent people who have trade or other associations with the visiting country. Today, it is used by The Queen for State banquets and other formal occasions such as the annual Diplomatic Reception attended by 1,500 guests.

This is a very formal occasion during which The Queen will meet every head of mission accredited to the Court of St James's. For the diplomats it is perhaps the highlight of the annual diplomatic social calendar. The Ballroom has been used variously as a concert hall for memorial concerts and performances of the arts and it is the regular venue for Investitures of which there are usually 21 a year - nine in spring, two in the summer and ten in the autumn. At Investitures, The Queen (or The Prince of Wales as Her Majesty's representative) will meet recipients of British honours and give them their awards, including knighting those who have been awarded knighthoods. From the Ballroom, the West Gallery, with its four Gobelin tapestries, leads into the first of the great rooms that overlook lawn and the formal gardens - setting for the annual Garden Parties introduced by Queen Victoria in 1868. The State Dining Room is one of the principal State Rooms on the West side of the Palace. Many distinguished people have dined in this room including the 24 holders of the Order of Merit as well as presidents and prime ministers.

Before the Ballroom was added to the Palace in the 1850s, the first State Ball was held in the Blue Drawing Room in May 1838 as part of the celebrations leading up to Queen Victoria's Coronation. The Music Room was originally known as the Bow Drawing Room and is the centre of the suite of rooms on the Garden Front between the Blue and the White Drawing Rooms. Four Royal babies - The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and Prince William - were all christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room. One of its more formal uses is during a State Visit when guests are presented to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State or for receptions. The last of the suite of rooms overlooking the gardens on the principal floor is the White Drawing Room. Originally called the North Drawing Room, it is perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms. The Room also serves as a Royal reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before State and official occasions. The Bow Room is familiar to the many thousands of guests to Royal Garden Parties who pass through it on their way to the garden.

It was originally intended as a part of George IV's private apartments - to be the King's Library - but it was never fitted up as such. Instead, it has become another room for entertaining and is where The Queen holds the arrival lunch for a visiting Head of State at the start of a State visit. Windsor Castle Windsor Castle - is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court. During that time The Queen hosts occasional 'dine and sleeps' events for guests, including politicians and public figures. The Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the service of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Ascot race meeting. The Order of the Garter ceremony brings together members of the senior order of chivalry for a service in St George's Chapel.

Beforehand, The Queen gives a lunch for the Knights of the Garter in the Castle's Waterloo Chamber. Any new Knights of the Garter are invested by The Queen in the Garter Throne Room. On the walls are portraits of monarchs in their Garter Robes, from George I to the present Queen, whose State portrait by Sir James Gunn was painted in 1954. Windsor Castle is often used by The Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Foreign Heads of State enter the Castle in horse-drawn carriages through the George IV Gateway into the quadrangle in the Upper Ward, where a military guard of honour is drawn up. The traditional State Banquet is held in St George's Hall (55.5m long and 9m wide), with a table seating up to 160 guests. Recent State visits held at Windsor Castle include those of President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa (2001), and King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan (2001), as well as a special visit by President and Madame Chirac of France to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale (2004).

St George's Chapel remains an active centre for worship, with daily services open to all. The Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, that is, a chapel which is not subject to a bishop or archbishop but which owes its allegiance directly to the Sovereign. The Chapel, together with the remainder of the College of St George (a school for 400 children and St George's House, a consultation centre), is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who, with their officers and staff, are independent of the Royal Household. Many Royal weddings have been celebrated in St George's Chapel, most recently that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. In 2005 a service of dedication and prayer was held in the Chapel following the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Funerals such as those of Princess Margaret and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, have also taken place there. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lies buried in the Chapel with her husband, King George VI, and Princess Margaret, her younger daughter. Various departments of the Royal Household are based at Windsor Castle. The ancient Round Tower houses the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection.

The Print Room and Royal Library house precious drawings, prints, manuscripts and books in the Royal Collection. These are shown in a programme of changing exhibitions in the Castle's Drawings Gallery. Those who live and work within the Castle include the titular head of the Castle community, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle; the Dean of Windsor, Canons and other staff who run the College of St George; the Military Knights of Windsor; the Superintendent of Windsor Castle and his staff, who are responsible for day-to-day administration; the Housekeeper and her staff; and soldiers who mount a permanent military guard in the Castle. Windsor Castle is also a busy visitor attraction. Many parts of the Castle are open to the public, including the precincts, the State Apartments, Queen Mary's famous dolls' house, St George's Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. When The Queen is in official residence, Changing the Guard provides a colourful spectacle in the quadrangle. Palace of HolyroodHouse Palace of Holyroodhouse - Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen's official residence in Scotland.

Situated at the end of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is closely associated with Scotland's turbulent past, including Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here between 1561 and 1567. Successive kings and queens have made the Palace of Holyroodhouse the premier royal residence in Scotland. Today, the Palace is the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining. During The Queen's Holyrood week, which usually runs from the end of June to the beginning of July, Her Majesty carries out a wide range of official engagements in Scotland. The Investiture held in the Great Gallery is for Scottish residents whose achievements have been recognised in the twice-yearly Honours List which appears at New Year and on The Queen's Official Birthday in June. King George V and Queen Mary held the first garden party in the grounds of Holyroodhouse and the tradition has been maintained to the present day. Each year, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh entertain around 8,000 guests from all walks of Scottish life during Holyrood week. St James's Palace St. James's Palace is the senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal residence.

As the home of several members of the Royal Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official functions and is not open to the public. St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK. For this reason it gives its name to the Royal Court (the "Court of St James's"). St James's Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there – foreign ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James's, even though they are received by the monarch at Buckingham Palace. It is also the London residence of the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. The Palace forms part of a sprawling complex of buildings housing Court offices and officials' apartments.

The complex includes York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons, Princes William and Harry, Lancaster House, which is used by HM Government for official receptions, as well as the nearby Clarence House, the home of the late Queen Mother and now the residence of the Prince of Wales. The Queen's Chapel, built by Inigo Jones, adjoins St James's Palace. While the Chapel is open to the public at selected times, the palace is not accessible to the public. St James's Palace is one of the four buildings in London where guards from the Household Division can be seen (the other three are Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Horse Guards). Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Royal Philatelic Collection has been housed at St James's Palace, after spending the entire 20th century at Buckingham Palace. From October 2008 onwards, and officially from 6 January 2009, the staff of Princes William and Harry moved into their own rooms in St James's Palace and began reporting directly to the royal princes for the first time. Until recently the brothers' duties were looked after by Prince Charles's office at Clarence House.

Clarence House Clarence House which stands beside St James's Palace, was built between 1825 and 1827 to the designs of John Nash for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence. He lived there as King William IV from 1830 until 1837. During its history, the house has been altered, reflecting the changes in occupancy over nearly two centuries. It was the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002 and was also the home of The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and The Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage in 1947. Today Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes William and Harry. It is open to the public during the summer months each year. Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland is the private residence of The Queen. Beloved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Balmoral Castle has remained a favourite residence for The Queen and her family during the summer holiday period in August and September.

The Castle is located on the large Balmoral Estate, a working estate which aims to protect the environment while contributing to the local economy. The Estate grounds, gardens and the Castle Ballroom are open to visitors from the beginning of April to the end of July each year, under the management of the Balmoral Estate Office. Sandringham House Sandringham House in Norfolk has been the private home of four generations of Sovereigns since 1862. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family regularly spend Christmas at Sandringham and make it their official base until February each year. Like Balmoral, the Sandringham Estate is a commercial estate managed privately on The Queen's behalf. Kensington Palace Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence. Of great historical importance, Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of successive sovereigns until 1760. It was also the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. Today Kensington Palace accommodates the offices and private apartments of a number of members of the Royal Family. Although managed by Historic Royal Palaces, the Palace is furnished with items from the Royal Collection. British Monarchist League Ltd © 2014.

✕ St James’s Palace | The New Royalty World The New Royalty World St James Palace St James’s Palace is the official residence of the sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, although no longer the principal residence of the monarch, it is the ceremonial meeting place of the Accession Council and the London residence of several members of the royal family. Built by Henry VIII on the site of a leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less, the palace was secondary in importance to the Palace of Whitehall for most Tudor and Stuart monarchs. The palace increased in importance during the reigns of the early Georgian monarchy, but was displaced by Buckingham Palace in the late-18th and early-19th centuries. After decades of being used increasingly for only formal occasions, the move was formalised by Queen Victoria in 1837. Today the palace houses a number of official offices, societies and collections and all ambassadors and high commissioners to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St James’s. Mainly built between 1531 and 1536 in red-brick, the palace’s architecture is primarily Tudor in style.

A fire in 1809 destroyed parts of the structure, including the monarch’s private apartments, which were never replaced. Some 17th-century interiors survive, but most were remodelled in the 19th century. The palace was commissioned by Henry VIII, on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less. The new palace, secondary in the king’s interest to Henry’s Whitehall Palace, was constructed between 1531 and 1536 as a smaller residence to escape formal court life. Much smaller than the nearby Whitehall, St James’s was arranged around a number of courtyards, including the Colour Court, the Ambassador’s Court and the Friary Court. The most recognisable feature is the north gatehouse; constructed with four storeys, the gatehouse has two crenelated flanking octagonal towers at its corners and a central clock dominating the uppermost floor and gable; the clock is a later addition, and dates from 1731. It is decorated with the initials H.A. for Henry and his second wife, Anne. Henry constructed the palace in red brick, with detail picked out in darker brick.

The palace was remodeled in 1544, with ceilings painted by Hans Holbein, and was described as a “pleasant royal house”. Two of Henry VIII’s children died at Saint James’s, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset and Mary I. Elizabeth I often resided at the palace, and is said to have spent the night there while waiting for the Spanish Armada to sail up the channel. In 1638, Charles I gave the palace to Marie de Medici, the mother of his wife Henrietta Maria. Marie remained in the palace for three years, but the residence of a Catholic former queen of France proved unpopular with parliament and she was soon asked to leave for Cologne. Charles I spent his final night at St James’s before his execution. Oliver Cromwell then took it over, and turned it into barracks during the English Commonwealth period. Charles II, James II, Mary II and Anne were all born at the palace. The palace was restored by Charles II following the demise of the Commonwealth, laying out St James’s Park at the same time.

It became the principal residence of the monarch in London in 1698, during the reign of William III and Mary II after Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire, and became the administrative centre of the monarchy, a role it retains. The first two monarchs of the House of Hanover used St James’s Palace as their principal London residence. George I and George II both housed their mistresses, the Duchess of Kendal and the Countess of Suffolk respectively, at the palace. In 1757, George II donated the Palace library to the British Museum this gift was the first part of what later became the Royal Collection. In 1809, a fire destroyed part of the palace, including the monarch’s private apartments at the south east corner. These apartments were not replaced, leaving the Queen’s Chapel in isolation, and Marlborough Road now runs between the two buildings. George III found St James’s increasingly unsuitable. The Tudor palace was regarded as uncomfortable and too cramped for his ever growing family.

In 1762 George purchased Buckingham House – the predecessor to Buckingham Palace – for his queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz The royal family began to spend the majority of their time at Buckingham House, with St James’s being used for only the most formal of occasions; thrice-weekly levées and public audiences were still held there. In the late 18th century, George III refurbished the state apartments but neglected the living quarters. Queen Victoria formalised the move in 1837, ending St James’s status as the primary residence of the monarch. It was nevertheless where Victoria married her husband, Prince Albert, in 1840, and where, eighteen years later, Victoria and Albert’s eldest child, Princess Victoria, married her husband, Prince Frederick of Prussia. For most of the time of the personal union between Great Britain (later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) and the Electorate of Hanover from 1714 until 1837 the ministers of the German Chancery were working in two small rooms within St James’s Palace..

On 12 June 1941, Representatives of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and of the exiled governments of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Yugoslavia, as well as General de Gaulle of France, met and signed the Declaration of St James’s Palace which was the first of six treaties signed that established the United Nations and composed the Charter of the United Nations. St James’s Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there, despite the monarch residing elsewhere. It is also the London residence of the Princess Royal; Princess Beatrice of York; Princess Eugenie of York; and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. The palace is used to host official receptions, such as those of visiting heads of state, and charities of which members of the royal family are patrons. The Palace forms part of a sprawling complex of buildings housing Court offices and officials’ apartments. The immediate palace complex includes York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons, Princes William and Harry.

Lancaster House located next-door, is used by HM Government for official receptions, and the nearby Clarence House, the home of the late Queen Mother is now the residence of the Prince of Wales. The nearby Queen’s Chapel, built by Inigo Jones, adjoins St James’s Palace. While the Queen’s Chapel is open to the public at selected times, the Chapel Royal in the palace is not accessible to the public. They both remain active places of worship. The offices of the Royal Collection Department, the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Chapel Royal, the Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Queen’s Watermen are all housed at St James’s Palace.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Royal Philatelic Collection has been housed at St James’s Palace, after spending the entire 20th century at Buckingham Palace Delen: Category Archive for "Royal Residence" | Mandy's British Royalty By Mandy's Royalty Tuesday, August 25, 1998 0 Royal Residence No tags Permalink 0 In Residence: British Royal Palaces Check out this handy-dandy map of the locations of royal homes across the UK (click to enlarge). Buckingham Palace “Buck House” – as it is affectionately known – is the official seat of HM The Queen. It evolved from a much smaller home that was owned by the Dukes of Buckingham, for whom it was named. In 1761, King George III bought Buckingham House, as it was known then, for his wife Queen Charlotte. His Majesty liked the house for its close proximity to St. James’s Palace where official state business was carried out at the time. The residence then became known as the “Queen’s House”, where fourteen of George III’s fifteen children were born!

Buckingham Palace became the official residence of the sovereign in July 1837, when a newly crowned Queen Victoria moved in. It has been the official site of the Monarch and their state business ever since. It became so iconic that when it was suggested that Windsor become Queen Elizabeth II’s official residence, Winston Churchill had a good grumble about it. He insisted that Buckingham Palace was to be the site for the Head of State. Did you know? Though the monarch lives and works in Buckingham Palace, St. James’s remains the formal “official palace of the Sovereign” and is the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace has had numerous additions throughout the years. Today, the room count stands at 775. It houses the offices of the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, and other various members of the Royal Family. It is also the scene of many official ceremonies such as Jubilees, the receiving of loyal addresses, State Visits and Investitures. Official wedding photographs of numerous Royal Family members are taken in the Throne Room. The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place outside Buckingham Palace at 11:30 am every day from May to July.

It takes place on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. Information on the opening of State Rooms: royalcollection.org.uk Windsor Castle Situated in the town of Windsor, it is the largest occupied castle in the world. It has been a private home as well as a piece of history, built over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror. Windsor contains the most valuable pieces of art in the world, including paintings, sculptures, and furniture. Its fourteenth-century chapel, named for England’s patron Saint George, has been the site of several memorable weddings. The Queen, as a young princess, lived at Windsor Castle during the war years with her little sister Princess Margaret. The children had been stationed here for their own safety, far from London where the Nazis dropped continuous bombs. It was a shot to the heart for Elizabeth when, in 1992, a lamp overturned and set a curtain alight, burning a large portion of Windsor’s majestic rooms. Her childhood home suffered £30-40m worth of damage. Thankfully, many of the paintings and tapestries were saved.

To honor those who had helped battle the blaze and rescue valuable items, new stained glass was added in the chapel bearing the images of volunteers and firemen. St. James’s Palace The walls of this palace housed many a monarch in its time. Built in the 1530s, St. James has long been the “senior” royal palace, and is often in use for official functions. Unlike Windsor and Buckingham Palace, it is not open to the public. King William IV, uncle of Queen Victoria, was the last Sovereign to use St. James’s Palace as a residence. It is still considered a senior royal palace and the Prince of Wales’s offices are located here, as well as the press office for Princes William and Harry. The site was brought into the royal orbit when King Henry VIII acquired it from Eton College. He renovated the building into a ‘magnificent and goodly house’, making it the principal official palace of the Sovereign. Over time, St. James’s has functioned as an official palace as well as a home, and sometimes it has been a private home only. Mary Tudor, Henry’s daughter with Catherine of Aragon, preferred to use St.

James’s as a private residence as queen while conducting most official business at Whitehall. Balmoral Balmoral Castle is located on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was a favorite of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. The rolling hills of Scotland reminded Albert of his native Thuringia in Germany, and they came here often with their large brood of children to escape the congested life of London. This castle is still a firm favorite of the Royal Family, and it is their vacation spot during the summer holiday period in August and September. The Queen still “does the boxes” full of official paperwork while at Balmoral, though. A Queen’s work is never done! The original Balmoral Castle was built in the fifteenth century, but it was considered too small for Queen Victoria and her nine children. Instead, a new castle, which we recognize as Balmoral today, was constructed near the original site.

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James Palace, London. St James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces and was built by Henry VIII between 1531 and 1536. Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, stayed at the Palace on the night after her coronation. Two of Henry VIII's children died there: Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset and Mary I (Mary's heart and bowels are buried in the palace's Chapel Royal). In 1558, Mary Tudor signed the treaty surrendering Calais at the Palace. See More Explore London's history on the Royal London Walk Posted on June 2, 2015 by David London’s royal heritage is one of the UK capital’s biggest attractions, and one of the best ways to see that legacy is on foot. Walk London’s Royal London Walk passes palaces, households and other related attractions, many of which are open to the public. At a leisurely pace, it will take around three hours to complete, while faster walkers will be able to finish it in just under an hour.

What’s more, most of the walk passes through gardens and parks, which means you won’t need to dodge the busy London traffic as you see the sights. The walk begins at St James’s Park underground station, which is served by the District and Circle lines. It passes through St James’s Park, up Constitution Hill, through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens before ending at Lancaster Gate underground station on the Central line. Notable Attractions The walk passes by a number of famous attractions, and here are just a few of them. St James’s Palace, The Royal Court St James’s Palace , which was built between 1531 and 1536, is the official residence of the sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. It is still home to several members of the Royal Family and is often used for official royal functions, although it is not open to the public. Buckingham Palace Famous around the world as the official residence of the UK monarch, Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms and 52 royal and guest bedrooms. It is often used for state occasions and royal hospitality, while serving as a focal point for the British people during times of celebration.

The state rooms are open to the public each year for most of August and September, as part of the palace’s summer opening. Kensington Palace Kensington Palace , which began life as a two-storey Jacobean mansion built in 1605, has been a residence of the Royal Family since the 17th century. Still in use today, it is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. The state rooms are open to the public and cost £17.50 on the gate, while children under 16 enter for free. The palace is open seven days a week, from 10.00 until 18.00 in the summer and 17.00 during the winter. Share the post "Explore London’s history on the Royal London Walk" Royal Residences | British Monarchist Society and Foundation Kensington Palace Throughout the centuries, Britain’s kings and queens have built or bought palaces to serve as family homes, workplaces and as centres of government.

Some of these are still being used today as official Royal residences and many can be visited by the general public. The residences still standing today can be roughly divided into three categories: Official Royal residences Are held in trust by the Queen for future generations. As well as being family homes for members of the Royal Family, these are also working buildings which are used for housing the offices of staff from the Royal Household, entertaining official guests and hosting formal events and ceremonies. The best-known of these residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as well as St. James’s and Kensington Palaces. Private Estates Are owned by The Queen and are often used to generate private income through farming or public access to Royal residences, they also house some well-known private residences such as Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House. Unoccupied Royal residences Are all other buildings in Great Britain which once housed members of the Royal Family and are therefore of historical interest. These buildings are owned by numerous bodies and individuals and many are open to the general public. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace – has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.

Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every year. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.The Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of Britain’s Constitutional Monarchy. It houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family. The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household. Buckingham Palace is furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the Royal Collection, one of the major art collections in the world today. It is not an art gallery and nor is it a museum.

Its State Rooms form the nucleus of the working Palace and are used regularly by The Queen and members of the Royal Family for official and State entertaining. More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties. For those who do receive an invitation to Buckingham Palace, the first step across the threshold is into the Grand Hall and up the curving marble stairs of the Grand Staircase. Portraits are still set in the walls, as they were by Queen Victoria. The Throne Room, sometimes used during Queen Victoria’s reign for Court gatherings and as a second dancing room, is dominated by a proscenium arch supported by a pair of winged figures of ‘victory’ holding garlands above the ‘chairs of state’. It is in the Throne Room that The Queen, on very special occasions like Jubilees, receives loyal addresses. Another use of the Throne Room has been for formal wedding photographs. George IV’s original palace lacked a large room in which to entertain. Queen Victoria rectified that shortcoming by adding in 1853-5 what was, at the time of its construction, the largest room in London.

At 36.6m long, 18m wide and 13.5m high, the Ballroom is the largest multi-purpose room in Buckingham Palace. It was opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War. It is along the East Gallery that The Queen and her State guests process to the Ballroom for the State Banquet normally held on the first day of the visit. Around 150 guests are invited and include members of the Royal Family, the government and other political leaders, High Commissioners and Ambassadors and prominent people who have trade or other associations with the visiting country. Today, it is used by The Queen for State banquets and other formal occasions such as the annual Diplomatic Reception attended by 1,500 guests. This is a very formal occasion during which The Queen will meet every head of mission accredited to the Court of St James’s. For the diplomats it is perhaps the highlight of the annual diplomatic social calendar.

The Ballroom has been used variously as a concert hall for memorial concerts and performances of the arts and it is the regular venue for Investitures of which there are usually 21 a year – nine in spring, two in the summer and ten in the autumn. At Investitures, The Queen (or The Prince of Wales as Her Majesty’s representative) will meet recipients of British honours and give them their awards, including knighting those who have been awarded knighthoods. From the Ballroom, the West Gallery, with its four Gobelin tapestries, leads into the first of the great rooms that overlook lawn and the formal gardens – setting for the annual Garden Parties introduced by Queen Victoria in 1868. The State Dining Room is one of the principal State Rooms on the West side of the Palace. Many distinguished people have dined in this room including the 24 holders of the Order of Merit as well as presidents and prime ministers. Before the Ballroom was added to the Palace in the 1850s, the first State Ball was held in the Blue Drawing Room in May 1838 as part of the celebrations leading up to Queen Victoria’s Coronation.

The Music Room was originally known as the Bow Drawing Room and is the centre of the suite of rooms on the Garden Front between the Blue and the White Drawing Rooms. Four Royal babies – The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and Prince William – were all christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room. One of its more formal uses is during a State Visit when guests are presented to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State or for receptions. The last of the suite of rooms overlooking the gardens on the principal floor is the White Drawing Room. Originally called the North Drawing Room, it is perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms. The Room also serves as a Royal reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before State and official occasions. The Bow Room is familiar to the many thousands of guests to Royal Garden Parties who pass through it on their way to the garden. It was originally intended as a part of George IV’s private apartments – to be the King’s Library – but it was never fitted up as such. Instead, it has become another room for entertaining and is where The Queen holds the arrival lunch for a visiting Head of State at the start of a State visit.

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle – is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court. During that time The Queen hosts occasional ‘dine and sleep’ events for guests, including politicians and public figures. The Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the service of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Ascot race meeting. The Order of the Garter ceremony brings together members of the senior order of chivalry for a service in St George’s Chapel. Beforehand, The Queen gives a lunch for the Knights of the Garter in the Castle’s Waterloo Chamber. Any new Knights of the Garter are invested by The Queen in the Garter Throne Room.

On the walls are portraits of monarchs in their Garter Robes, from George I to the present Queen, whose State portrait by Sir James Gunn was painted in 1954. Windsor Castle is often used by The Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Foreign Heads of State enter the Castle in horse-drawn carriages through the George IV Gateway into the quadrangle in the Upper Ward, where a military guard of honour is drawn up. The traditional State Banquet is held in St George’s Hall (55.5m long and 9m wide), with a table seating up to 160 guests. Recent State visits held at Windsor Castle include those of President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa (2001), and King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan (2001), as well as a special visit by President and Madame Chirac of France to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale (2004). St George’s Chapel remains an active centre for worship, with daily services open to all.

The Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, that is, a chapel which is not subject to a bishop or archbishop but which owes its allegiance directly to the Sovereign. The Chapel, together with the remainder of the College of St George (a school for 400 children and St George’s House, a consultation centre), is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who, with their officers and staff, are independent of the Royal Household. Many Royal weddings have been celebrated in St George’s Chapel, most recently that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. In 2005 a service of dedication and prayer was held in the Chapel following the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Funerals such as those of Princess Margaret and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, have also taken place there. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lies buried in the Chapel with her husband, King George VI, and Princess Margaret, her younger daughter. Various departments of the Royal Household are based at Windsor Castle. The ancient Round Tower houses the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection. The Print Room and Royal Library house precious drawings, prints, manuscripts and books in the Royal Collection.

These are shown in a programme of changing exhibitions in the Castle’s Drawings Gallery. Those who live and work within the Castle include the titular head of the Castle community, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle; the Dean of Windsor, Canons and other staff who run the College of St George; the Military Knights of Windsor; the Superintendent of Windsor Castle and his staff, who are responsible for day-to-day administration; the Housekeeper and her staff; and soldiers who mount a permanent military guard in the Castle. Windsor Castle is also a busy visitor attraction. Many parts of the Castle are open to the public, including the precincts, the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s famous dolls’ house, St George’s Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. When The Queen is in official residence, Changing the Guard provides a colourful spectacle in the quadrangle. Palace of Holyrood House Palace of Holyroodhouse – Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland.

Situated at the end of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is closely associated with Scotland’s turbulent past, including Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here between 1561 and 1567. Successive Kings and Queens have made the Palace of Holyroodhouse the premier Royal residence in Scotland. Today, the Palace is the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining. During The Queen’s Holyrood week, which usually runs from the end of June to the beginning of July, Her Majesty carries out a wide range of official engagements in Scotland. The Investiture held in the Great Gallery is for Scottish residents whose achievements have been recognised in the twice-yearly Honours List which appears at New Year and on The Queen’s Official Birthday in June. King George V and Queen Mary held the first garden party in the grounds of Holyroodhouse and the tradition has been maintained to the present day. Each year, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh entertain around 8,000 guests from all walks of Scottish life during Holyrood week. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland.

It stands at the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat and is closely associated with Scotland’s rich history. The State Apartments reflect the changing tastes of successive monarchs, and are renowned for their fine plasterwork ceilings and unrivalled collection of Brussels tapestries. They are furnished with numerous fine paintings and other works of art, many of which have long associations with Holyroodhouse. Today the State Apartments are used by The Queen and other members of the Royal Family for official ceremonies and entertaining, most notably during Holyrood Week. The Throne Room is where the luncheon is held for the Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Thistle, on the occasion of the installation of a new Knight. In the Morning Drawing Room The Queen gives private audiences, for example with the First Minister of Scotland, the Lord High Commissioner or other visiting dignitaries. Scottish residents who are awarded an honour in either the New Year’s Honours List or The Queen’s Birthday Honours List receive their award at an Investiture ceremony in the Great Gallery. One of the most famous rooms in the Palace, the Great Gallery is hung with Jacob de Wet’s portraits of the real and legendary kings of Scotland.

It is the largest room in the Palace, connecting the King’s Suite on the east side with the historic apartments in James V’s Tower to the west. Included on the tour of the Palace is a display about the Order of the Thistle, the highest honour in Scotland. The Order honours Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life. Shown alongside historic insignia is an example of the mantle worn at the Thistle Ceremony at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, which The Queen attends during her summer visit to the Palace. St James’s Palace St. James’s Palace – is the senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal residence. As the home of several members of the Royal Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official functions and is not open to the public. St. James’s Palace is one of London’s oldest palaces. It iS situated in Pall Mall, just north of St James’s Park. Although no sovereign Has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK.

For this reason it gives its name to the Royal Court (the “Court of St James’s”). St James’s Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there – foreign ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James’s, even though they are received by the monarch at Buckingham Palace. It is also the London residence of the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. The Palace forms part of a sprawling complex of buildings housing Court offices and officials’ apartments. The complex includes York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons, Princes William and Harry, Lancaster House, which is used by HM Government for official receptions, as well as the nearby Clarence House, the home of the late Queen Mother and now the residence of the Prince of Wales. The Queen’s Chapel, built by Inigo Jones, adjoins St James’s Palace. While the Chapel is open to the public at selected times, the palace is not accessible to the public. St James’s Palace is one of the four buildings in London where guards from the Household Division can be seen (the other three are Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Horse Guards).

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Royal Philatelic Collection has been housed at St James’s Palace, after spending the entire 20th century at Buckingham Palace. From October 2008 onwards, and officially from 6 January 2009, the staff of Princes William and Harry moved into their own rooms in St James’s Palace and began reporting directly to the royal princes for the first time. Until recently the brothers’ duties were looked after by Prince Charles’s office at Clarence House. Clarence House Clarence House – which stands beside St James’s Palace, was built between 1825 and 1827 to the designs of John Nash for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence. He lived there as King William IV from 1830 until 1837. During its history, the house has been altered, reflecting the changes in occupancy over nearly two centuries. It was the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002 and was also the home of The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and The Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage in 1947.

Today Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. It is open to the public during the summer months each year.

Question: What is the UK's most senior royal palace and official residence of the monarch?
Answer: St James's Palace