f you think you know all about Buckingham Palace, think again, I will reveal some fascinating facts about Buckingham Palace, some of which are not in the media. Did you know that Buckingham Palace survived 9 German bomb attacks during World War II? Grab a cup of coffee and let’s get started.
Buckingham Palace is an old castle in the center of Westminster City, London, United Kingdom.
1. The north-western pavilion was replaced with a very large swimming pool in 1938.
2. The palace serves as an official residence and administrative headquarters for the monarchs of the United Kingdom.
3. Buckingham palace is not just a palace, it also has a health clinic, cinema even a police station, and many others.
4. Entry fee for children of 5-17 years of age is the same for the disabled. The fee is £16.50 as advance and £18 upon entry.
5. Buckingham Palace was built in 1703.
6. The Buckingham House was originally owned by the Duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield.
7. King George III bought the castle in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte.
8. It is believed that the oldest part of Buckingham Palace is the wine vaults.
9. The castle was originally called Buckingham House. It was after King George III bought the building, that it was transformed into the Palace we know today.
10. Queen Victoria was the first royal of the United Kingdom to live at the Palace of Buckingham.
11. In 1982, the palace was broken into by Michael Fagan. He went as far as going into Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom.
12. The staffs of the palace also reside in Buckingham Palace. So far, the palace has over 500 residents.
13. There are about 775 rooms in the palace. 78 bathrooms, 186 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 19 staterooms, and 52 royal and guest bedrooms.
14. The palace is about 24 meters high.
15. During World War II, despite all the heavy bombings in London at the time, the royals; King George VI, and his wife refused to leave the palace.
16. The artwork seen inside the building is just overly amazing, both known and unknown art. They will surely take your breath away.
17. Despite the series ‘The Crown’ setting most scenes in Buckingham Palace, the actual building was never used.
18. Buckingham Palace covers about 39 acres of land.
19. Young adults are to pay an advance of £19.50 and cash of £21.50 upon entry as an entry fee into the palace.
20. Buckingham Palace together with the gardens and every other thing with it spans about 77,000 square meters.
21. Whenever the king is not staying in the palace mostly around late July to late September, the state rooms are open to the public. This opening attracts a lot of tourists.
22. The palace has its own ATM machine inside the building.
23. The 1844 room of Buckingham Palace was named for a visit by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in the year 1844.
24. The building has over 300 watches and clocks and they are all regulated by one clockmaker who resides in the building.
25. The major architect of Buckingham Palace is John Nash. He was the one that extended the house into a palace.
26. The Changing of the Guard ceremony always takes place in the forecourt of the palace every morning.
27. Queen Elizabeth II always preferred staying at Windsor castle, despite Buckingham Palace being the official monarch’s residence. She only used Buckingham Palace as an office.
28. The palace also has a post office inside.
29. The building survived 9 German bomb attacks during World War II.
30. The construction of the palace went way over budget, more than 2X the initial budget.
31. Edward Jones, a child at the time broke into the palace three times.
32. Due to the extravagance and overspending used in the construction of the palace, the then-architect John Nash was sacked.
33. Whenever the Union Jack flag flies above the building, it shows that the King is not around.
34. The entry fee into Buckingham Palace for an adult of 25 years and above is £30 in advance and then £33 on the visitation day.
35. The land where Buckingham Palace is built today has always been owned by royals.
36. Edward Jones stole food from the kitchen, and Queen Victoria’s underwear, and also got a chance to sit on the throne.
37. When the King’s royal standard flag flies above the building, it shows that the King is around.
38. King James I wanted to make the grounds of the Buckingham House a mulberry garden. This was before the house was erected.
39. There are secret tunnels running beneath Buckingham Palace.
40. The construction of the building into a palace took about £450,000.
41. After John Nash was sacked, they hired another architect to work on the palace, by the name Edward Blore.
42. The tradition of United States heads of state visiting the royal residence started when Woodrow Wilson and his wife visited the palace on their way to Paris for a conference.
43. The first event that was held in the ballroom of the building was the celebration of the end of the Crimean War.
44. The walls of this amazing palace were built with limestones that are made of small spherical clumps of sedimentary rocks.
45. The first and only monarch to have been born and also died in the palace is Edward VII.
46. Edward Jones nicknamed Boy Jones is not just a petty thief but also a huge royals fan.
47. The palace holds 3 official garden parties every summer.
48. There is no entry fee for children of 4 years and below.
49. The palace’s chapel which was destroyed during World War II was replaced with the Queen’s Gallery.
50. The tiny fossils embedded in the walls of the palace are about 200 million years old.
51. Some believe that Edward Jones was sent overseas as a punishment for breaking into the palace.