BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Martin Kuuben Gerdel Kuusik Marianne Heinla Marite Helena Hiieme Leane Jefimova

Heleriin Malkov
Kristiina Toom

ABOUT
Buckingham palace is the London home and primary residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster.

A setting for state occasions and royal hospitality.

It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis. It has the largest private garden in London. The Sovereign's official residence is still St James's Palace.

HISTORY
Originally known as Buckingham House. Built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705. Became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

THE QUEENS GALLERY

The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace was constructed forty years ago out of the bomb-damaged ruins of the former private chapel. The Gallery underwent extensive refurbishment and expansion to celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and was reopened by Her Majesty on 21 May that year. The Queens Gallery is a permanent space dedicated to exhibitions

of items from the Royal Collection.

 The Collection includes paintings, drawings and watercolours,

furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewellery, books and

manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armour, and textiles. It largely consists of objects after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. Only a small part of the collection is on display at any time so the objects on display are continuously rotated making it worthy of repeat visits.

CURRENT EXHIBITION The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton & Antarctic

Photography
Until 15 April 2012 This exhibition of remarkable Antarctic photography by George Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley marks the 100th anniversary of Captain Scotts ill-fated journey to the South Pole.

H. G. Ponting

F. Hurley

COURT CEREMONIES
COURT DRESS Men not wearing military uniform would wear knee breeches of an 18th-century design. Women's evening dress included trains and tiaras or feathers in their hair (or both). The dress code has progressively relaxed.

Today, there is no official dress code.

PRESENTATION OF DEBUTANTES
Took place in the Throne Room. Represented the aristocratic girls' first entry into society.

In 1958, the Queen abolished the presentation parties for

debutantes, replacing them with Garden Parties. Today, the Throne Room is used for the reception of formal addresses.

INVESTITURES Include the conferring of knighthoods by dubbing with a sword, and other awards. Take place in the palace's ballroom, built in 1854. The Queen stands on the throne dais beneath a giant, domed velvet canopy. A military band plays in the musicians' gallery.

STATE BANQUETS
Also take place in the Ballroom. The largest and most formal reception at Buckingham Palace takes

place every November, when the Queen entertains members of the

foreign diplomatic corps resident in London. All the large, double-mirrored doors stand open, reflecting the numerous crystal chandeliers and sconces, causing a deliberate optical illusion of space and light.

OTHER CEREMONIES AND FUNCTIONS Smaller ceremonies take place in the "1844 Room". Larger lunch parties often take place in the curved and domed Music Room, or the State Dining Room.

Royal christenings have sometimes taken place in the Music

Room. The largest functions of the year are the Queen's Garden Parties for up to 8,000 invites.

CHANGE OF THE GUARD

A process that involves a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard. The Guard is called The Queens Guard. The Buckingham Palace Detachment, the St. Jamess Palace Detachment. Drawn from Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards.

 The handover is accompanied by a Guards band. The music played: traditional military marches, songs from films and musicals, familiar pop songs.

When The Queen is in residence, there are four sentries at the front
of the building. When she is away there are two. Foot Guards are in their full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins.

 Units from Commonwealth realms occasionally take turn in Guard

Mounting.
Guard Mounting takes place at 11.30 am daily from May to July, on alternate dates throughout the rest of the year. There is no Guard Mounting in very wet weather.

INCIDENTS Until 1959, the sentries were stationed outside the fence. This stopped following an incident involving a female tourist and a Guardsman due to the pestering of tourists and sightseers, the guardsman kicked the tourist on the ankle as he marched. In 1982, a man was able to evade the sentries and make his way to

the Queen's bedroom, before he was captured by police.

 In 2004, a member of Fathers4Justice spent five and a half hours standing on the parapet by the balcony at the front of Buckingham Palace. Although the Queen was not present at the time, it raised fears of a terrorist attack on the palace, and gave rise to calls for the British Army to be given a greater hand in the security of the Royal Family.