The weather might not be all that sunny but it is definitely summer season at Buckingham Palace. Today, the doors of The Queen’s London home are opened up to visitors from around the world for eight weeks.
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open every year to the public, allowing visitors a chance to see the Royal Family’s most famous residence for themselves. There are nineteen rooms to visit in total and every year a special exhibition also takes place providing an insight into one aspect of royal life. This year it’s all about how The Queen welcomes guests to Buckingham Palace.
She gets a lot of house calls. Last year there were 62,000 guests welcomed at the Palace at events as wide ranging as garden parties, private audiences and State Visits. Anne Reynolds, curator of the exhibition ‘A Royal Welcome’, said “People often describe a visit to Buckingham Palace as an invited guest as a magical experience and one of the best days of their life’’. And this summer, the spotlight on those visits will let many others experience some of that magic.
There will be displays throughout the State Rooms showing how Buckingham Palace is set out for all kinds of visitors and that includes a chance to see the Palace Ballroom transformed for a State Banquet. And it will be dazzling – the table has been laid with the spectacular silver gilt from George IV’s Grand Service.
These gala dinners are one of the highlights of every State Visit (The Queen usually welcomes two visiting Heads of State every year) and each is attended by around 170 guests who get their invitations about two months before the banquet. And while we already know that four courses are usually on the menu, this year’s exhibition also shares information on some of the finer details that sometimes get overlooked. It takes ten days in total to prepare the Ballroom for a State Banquet with three just to lay the table and given the precision involved that’s no wonder – each place setting is 18 inches and includes seven pieces of cutlery and six glasses.
For those with a real eye for detail, there is plenty to learn about how all those guests are ensured a hot meal (there’s a hidden traffic lights system) and how old The Queen’s plates are (guests might have their fruit served on china dating from before the French Revolution). And there’s fun to be had counting how many salt and pepper pots are put out – it’s one between four on all tables apart from the top where everyone gets their own set.
The exhibition is just one of the many attractions awaiting visitors this summer. As The Queen settles into Balmoral for her summer break, her main London home is just gearing up for a season of entertaining with the focus very much on offering a warm royal welcome.
Buckingham Palace is open to the public from July 25th until September 27th 2015. Tickets for The State Rooms cost £20.00 for an adult, there are concessions for students and people over 60 (with valid ID) at £18.80 while those with disabilities and those aged under 17 pay £11.80. Children under the age of 5 are given free admittance. The revenue produced by ticket sales goes to the Royal Collection Trust.
photo credit: Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2015
