Book Tickets
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and serves as both home and office.
Royal Day Out: Royal Mews, Queen’s Gallery & State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. 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.
The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection – paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sevres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture.
Queen’s Gallery
The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation. Constructed forty years ago on the west front of Buckingham Palace out of the bomb-damaged ruins of the former private chapel, the Gallery has recently been redeveloped. It was reopened by The Queen on 21 May 2002 and is now open to the public on a daily basis.
Royal Mews
One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique opportunity for visitors to see the work of the Royal Household department that provides road transport for The Queen and members of the Royal Family by both horse-drawn carriage and motor car.
TheRoyal Mews has a permanent display of State vehicles. These include the magnificent Gold State Coach used for Coronations and those carriages used for Royal and State occasions, State Visits, weddings and the State Opening of Parliament. A State motor vehicle is also usually on display. For much of the year visitors to the Royal Mews can also see the 30 or so carriage-horses which play an important role in The Queen’s official and ceremonial duties.
State Rooms
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.
The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishlyfurnished with some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection – paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
Other Things to See
The Palace’s 42-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.
This special voucher may be exchanged for admission to the Royal Mews, Queen’s Gallery and State Rooms. Please read the notes below carefully.
NOTES
-Vouchers will need to be exchanged at the Buckingham Palace Road Shop (opposite the Royal Mews) prior to visit from 12:00 on day of visit
-After ticket exchange as described above, visitors must first visit the Royal Mews at 12:45, followed by the Queen’s Gallery at 14:00, followed by Buckingham Palace at 15:30. If however these timeslots are sold out when you arrive then the you will be offered the next nearest alternative.
-Recommended durations: Royal Mews 1 hour, Queen’s Gallery 1.5 hours, Buckingham Palace State Rooms 2 hours.
-Entrances to each element of the package are adjacent and located in the above order.
-Buckingham Palace will remain open until 19:00 each day, providing plenty of time for visitors to see the State Rooms.
Please see Venue Info for full conditions of entry.
Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and serves as both home and office. This year’s Summer Opening has a musical accompaniment. From command performances to costume balls, musical entertainment at Buckingham Palace will be the focus of a special display at this year’s Summer Opening of the State Rooms. Historic fancy-dress costumes, musical instruments and manuscripts, photographs and souvenirs will be shown in the magnificent surroundings of the Ball Supper Room, which itself has been the setting for many glittering events in the Palace’s history.
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.
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, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
Aspart of the audio tour of the State Rooms, visitors will hear the voices of famous performers, the sounds of the original instruments on show and some of the music specially composed for the royal family. Among the highlights are Johann Strauss’s waltz for Queen Victoria’s coronation, Felix Mendelssohn’s special arrangements of his Songs Without Words, and The Queen’s Suite by Duke Ellington, created and recorded for Her Majesty The Queen in 1959.
Visitors to the State Rooms should enter through the Ambassadors Entrance. Latecomers will not be admitted. Please see Venue Info for full conditions of entry.
