London(III)----Buckingham Palace

On 24,August Dr Hao and I visited Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence, with 775 rooms. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis. The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Work began on Buckingham Palace in 1702 and has been the official London residence of the British Royal Family since 1837. After several expansions, the palace now has a total of 52 bedrooms, 78 bathrooms and 92 offices. The palace enjoys an imposing location in the centre of London, opposite St James’s Park. Every year, millions of visitors come to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place outside the palace at 1130 daily from April to July and on alternate days at other times of the year. Visitors can also tour the inside of the palace during the summer months. The Ball Room, which is the largest room in the palace, opened to the public for the first time in 2000. The 19 State Rooms at the palace, which include the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, house treasures including English and French furniture, paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens and sculpture by Canaletto. Visitors can also see inside the Royal Mews, which is one of the grandest working stables in the world.