The State Rooms - Buckingham Palace + Tower of London

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 Buckingham Palace State Rooms are used extensively by Her Majesty 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. What there is to see? The Buckingham Palace 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 Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture. The Garden Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake. Audio Guide An audio guide is included in the ticket price and is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, Russian and Mandarin. There is also a family audio guide (in English only) and accompanying activity trail, suitable for children 7-11 years. Changing of the Guard The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at 11:30 daily from April until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. The new guards arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the soldiers are accompanied by a band. The ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete. [The Army have not yet released the schedule for July, August or September.] Exhibition - The Corination 1953 This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  To celebrate this anniversary, a special exhibition at Buckingham Palace will bring together an unprecedented array of the dress, uniform and robes worn for the historic event.  Paintings, works of art and other objects used on the day will help recreate the atmosphere of that extraordinary moment and the pageantry of a State occasion that has remained essentially unchanged for 1,000 years. The Queen acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey the following year, on 2 June 1953.  Buckingham Palace was at the heart of the celebrations on Coronation Day, which heralded the dawn of a ?New Elizabethan Era?. Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the Mall and filled the specially constructed stands around the Victoria Monument in front of the Palace. From here they witnessed the carriage processions of Members of the Royal Family, foreign Heads of State and Commonwealth Prime Ministers depart Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. For the annual Summer Opening in 2013, the Palace?s Ballroom will be transformed into the centre of the largest-ever exhibition about the Coronation.  Here, the dress, robes and uniforms worn by the principal royal party will be brought together for the first time since 2 June 1953.  The display will include HM The Queen?s Coronation Dress and Robe; the uniform, robe and Coronet of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; the dress and robe of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; the dress and robe of HRH The Princess Margaret; and the outfits worn on the day by two-year-old Princess Anne and four-year-old Prince Charles.  The Prince?s personal invitation to Westminster Abbey will also be on display. As they tour the State Rooms, visitors will experience a sense of the atmosphere of Coronation Day and learn how individual rooms were used in 1953.  For example, it was in the Green Drawing Room that Cecil Beaton (1904-80) took his famous Coronation portraits of The Queen, using his signature theatrical backdrops to recreate the inside of Westminster Abbey.  Other official portraits were taken in the Throne Room.  The Coronation State Banquets were held on the evenings of 3 and 4 June 1953, and for the Summer Opening of the Palace, the table in the State Dining Room will be dressed to evoke the Banquets? magnificent settings of porcelain, silver-gilt and flowers. Wheelchair Access If you require wheelchair access or the use of the lift, you should not book with 365 Tickets.com and should pre-book tickets directly with Buckingham Palace. Access booking line: 020 7766 7324 www.royalcollection.org.uk or email [email protected] Things to do and See at the Tower of London: Fit for a King Exhibition This exhibition covers five hundred years of spectacular royal armour. It provides a wonderful insight into the personalities, power and physical size that England?s Kings have possessed.  Entry to the Fit for a King Exhibition is included in the Tower of London ticket price The White Tower Currently hosting the Power House exhibition, about the various national institutions founded at the Tower of London, the White Tower is recognised as one of the most important historic buildings in the world. It has become an iconic symbol for Britain and London and is a must do on any trip to the Tower of London. Entry to The White Tower  is included in the Tower of London ticket price. The Crown Jewels The Jewel house at the Tower of London houses the world famous Crown Jewels. 23,578 precious stones and gems make up the Crown Jewels and include the world?s most famous diamond ? The Great Star of Africa?. Entry to The Crown Jewels is included in the Tower of London ticket price. The Yeoman Warder tours The Yeoman Warders, also known as beefeaters, are the public face of the Tower of London. As well as guarding the Tower and Crown Jewels they also provide tours for visitor where they regale you with tales from the Tower. Yeoman Warder Tours are included in the Tower of London Ticket Price The Royal Beasts The last thing you?d expect to see at the Tower of London would be Lions, Tigers, Elephants and Polar Bears, but for over 600 years the Royal Menagerie played host to these and many more. Discover their extraordinary stories and what life was like for them at the tower. Entry to The Royal Menagerie is included in the Tower of London ticket price. The Prisoners Exhibition Aside from the Crown Jewels the Tower of London is probably best known for being a prison. Prisoners have been at the Tower almost since it was built and the new interactive displays in the Prisoners exhibition help children and adults explore their stories. Entry to The Prisoners Exhibition is included in the Tower of London ticket price. The Ravens ?the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six ravens ever leave the Tower of London?, well according to legend anyway. Whether this is true or not the ravens have become on of the Tower?s most famous sites, just make sure you see at least 6 when you visit! The Tower Green Believe it or not being executed inside the Tower of London was considered a privilege for those of high rank. The Tower Green contains a permanent memorial for those ?lucky? enough to be executed there. The Medieval Palace Being the oldest part of the Tower of London, the Medieval Palace contains amazing interiors that you won?t see anywhere else. here you can experience what life might have been like in a luxurious medieval household. Entry to The Medieval Palace is included in the Tower of London ticket price.   Image Credits: Image 1:  Photographer: Derry Moore, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013 Image 2 : Photographer: Peter Smith, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013 Image 3 : Photographer: Andrew Holt, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013 Image 4: Photographer: Derry Moore, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013

The State Rooms Ticket Includes: Entry to The State Rooms - Buckingham Palace Free Audio Guide in 9 languages   Highlights: Enjoy the royal State Rooms and be amazed by the treasures from the Royal Collection Learn about what goes into the preparations for an official visit to Buckingham Palace Marvel at examples of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest furniture in the world   The State Rooms - Important Information Choose your entry time from 10:45 or 14:45 Summer Opening: 20 July ? 29 September 2019 Limited availability on each tour; it is recommended that you book early Tower of London Ticket Includes: Instant ticket delivery. Print your voucher and show it at the Tower of London entrance - no need to go to the ticket desks first   Highlights: Explore the grounds of the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of British history since the 11th century.  Get up close and personal with the Crown Jewels and royal finery of the British Monarchy. Enjoy a FREE guided tour with a Yeoman Warder.   Best Time To Visit:  Early in the morning.