September 30, 2008
Buckingham Palace A 1st Class London, England, Attraction
England is an incredibly beautiful|a most amazing country to visit for a vacation. There are an awesome selection of tourist attraction|places of interest well worth visiting to suit all tastes. For instance|One such place is the ancient city of York which has been inhabited since the days of the Roman Empire, Liverpool, and Torquay known as the English Riviera. One of the most interesting, and famous, places to visit is London, the capital city of England
London is an amazing location to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, maybe for a full vacation. You may be surprised at the number of folk who live in Britain who have not yet visited London, this is especially surprising when you are mindful of the fact it is commonly top of the majority of visitors lists (of most enjoyable attractions they went to).
There is simply so much to see and do in London that it is almost impossible to recall them all at once. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most widely known Royal residence, possibly because it is home to the Queen. The Palace is to be found right in the heart of London which makes it a natural focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is incredibly interesting to see and typically English.
Buckingham Palace was originally called Buckingham House. It was originally a large town house, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we know it today.
During the following 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was extended by the construction of 3 wings creating a central courtyard. The primary architects responsible for these additions were Edward Blore and John Nash. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the creation of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb in association with Sir Thomas Brock (the sculptor) were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial can still be today.
The Queen has a number of royal residences other than Buckingham Palace. Each and every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas season. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.
Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, found in Royal Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in Balmoral Castle when she was told about the heartbreaking incident involving Diana (the ex-wife of Prince Charles).
If you would like to take a break in the UK you might be pleased to be informed that it is possible to find cheap hotels in London without any great difficulty, on the other hand you may wish to stay in more luxurious surroundings and the small number of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.
