Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the kings and queens of England. However, it wasn't built by or for them. John Sheffield, the first Duke of Buckingham, ordered the demolition of an existing house in Westminster and built a new palace on the same site in 1703. It was called Buckingham House and was later purchased by King George III in 1761. When Queen Victoria took over the throne in 1837, she named Buckingham Palace her official residence.
10 interesting Buckingham Palace facts
It was originally built for a duke
It was infamously breached by a teenager
Buckingham Palace is the country's equivalent of the White House, yet the security team couldn't keep out a teenager named Edward Jones. Nicknamed 'the boy Jones', he broke into the building thrice between 1838 and 1841. Jones stole food from the palace's kitchen, Queen Victoria's underwear from her chamber, and sat on the elusive royal throne. His success also invited copycats, with Michael Fagan breaking into the palace in 1982.
The terrors of World War II reached Buckingham Palace
World War II caused massive devastation in Europe, including museums, government buildings, heritage structures, and thousands of civilian houses and apartments. Despite its importance to England's heritage and history, Buckingham Palace was also bombarded in the war. The British government advised King George VI and his family to vacate the building, but they chose to remain in the palace, even as German bombers aimed nine direct hits at the palace.
It's a village in itself
Buckingham Palace stretches over an area of 39 acres, with gardens surrounding the grand palace. The royals can find everything they need inside the palace. From a post office to a movie theatre, police station, and clinic, Buckingham Palace is like a village or tiny town in itself. Inside the palace, you'll find over 775 rooms, including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 19 staterooms, and 78 bathrooms.
The palace held the first Girl Guide Company meeting
Buckingham Palace plays host to royal and government meetings and overseas dignitaries. However, between 1937 and 1939, the palace played host to a Girl Guides meeting, the UK equivalent of Girl Scouts. Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret were Girl Guides before the former became Queen, organising the first Girl Guide Company meeting on the palace grounds, with over 30 girls of aristocratic descent in attendance.
It is made up of ancient fossils
The palace's walls are made from oolitic limestone, a sedimentary rock. It was used in the construction of Buckingham Palace, the Empire State Building, the Pentagon, and other landmarks. A 2017 paper by the Scientific Reports journal concluded that oolitic limestone forms around the mineralised corpses of microscopic organisms. This means that the fossils in Buckingham Palace’s structure are over 200 million years old.
Woodrow Wilson was the first US President to visit
In December 1918, President Wilson became the first US President to visit Buckingham Palace. He was on his way to a conference in Paris, but decided to stop by with First Lady Edith Wilson. King George V reciprocated by throwing a banquet, resulting in strong ties between the nations. Several American heads of state have visited the palace since, including President Jimmy Carter in 1977, famously breaking protocol by kissing Queen Elizabeth on the lips.
Queen Elizabeth II loved hosting parties at the palace
Queen Elizabeth II modernised the monarchy and took an active interest in government and political decisions. Apart from this, her extravagant sandwich parties are equally missed. Queen Elizabeth loved sandwiches so much that she'd throw at least three sandwich parties every summer at London's royal residence. Guests would eat over 20,000 sandwiches at each of these parties and also be served Buckingham Palace-blend tea and cakes.
The flag can tell if the King is in the palace
Visitors can tell whether the King is inside Buckingham Palace by looking at the flag flying high over the palace. Two flags were used, the royal standard and the Union Jack. If the royal standard flag is unfurled, it means the King is in the palace. Whereas if the Union Jack is flown, it means the King isn’t in the palace.
The red uniform for the guards was chosen strategically
When the uniforms were first manufactured for the palace guards, red was the cheapest dye at the time, and the royal family went with it to save money. The red uniforms have also become a deeply ingrained tradition of the British Royal Guard, symbolizing power, prestige, and national identity. Some also argue that the red uniforms project an imposing and authoritative presence, potentially deterring unwanted behavior near the palace.
