buckingham palace today - claire wadepalace, from the pale stone front, with the detailed windows,...
TRANSCRIPT
Day #03
Off to see the Queen...
Today q SEE THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL 1
q FIND YOUR PLACE AT THE GATES 5
q WATCH THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD 8
q EXPLORE THE PALACE 9
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Buckingham PalaceDay Three
3LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
Today you’ve got quite a short journey, back to Buckingham Palace. You drove past it on the way to the hotel and saw it from above during your ride on the London Eye; but now you’re going to go and have a better look at one of the many homes of the Royal family. Buckingham Palace is an important landmark in London and one that draws visitors from around the world, especially for events like the Royal Weddings and Coronations. Your car is waiting for you. Claire and Tim are sitting ready to take you to the Palace. The doorman opens your door for you and you climb in.Driving back you keep watch through the front window of the car, waiting to catch a glimpse of the tall and dramatic Queen Victoria Memorial. You see a glint of shining gold and you know you must be close to both the statue and the palace. The bright morning sun is reflecting off the white marble and golden statue which stands in front of the palace, looking down on all the events which take place here. “The Queen Victoria Memorial looks spectacular doesn’t it?” Claire asks you.”People sometimes call it “the wedding cake” monument because of its tiered shape.” You look at the statue again and can’t help but agree, with the white of the marble and the figures on the top it does look a bit like a wedding cake. “As the name suggests it was built in memory of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, one of the longest reigning monarchs in England’s history, she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 after sixty years on the throne. “The statue was designed by Sir Aston Webb, an English architect who also designed the main front of Buckingham Palace. The large statues were sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock and it was completed in 1911.” Tim pulls the car over to the side of the road and Claire climbs out. She and comes round to open your door for you to get out. You’ve stopped near to the fountain and you can hear the gentle sound of the running water.Now you are standing up, you can appreciate just how tall the monument is. You stretch your head back so that you can take it all in from the bottom of the carved marble base, all the way to the top of the elegant gold statues. “The statue is 25 meters or 82 feet high, that’s almost the same height as twelve people standing on each other’s shoulders,” Claire tells you. “It’s made of 2,300 tons of white marble, which is still amazingly white considering the amount of traffic that passes every day. Come round here, away from Buckingham Palace and you can see the carved statue of Queen Victoria. She faces east, away from Buckingham Palace.
Day Three!
4 LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
You can see that below her are the words “Victoria, Regina Imperatrix” that’s Latin and means “Victoria, Queen and Emperor”. “On the other sides of the monument are three angels of virtue - the Angel of Justice is on the North, the Angel of Truth faces south and Charity looks west, towards Buckingham Palace. At the very top is the gilded statue of Victory, with a seated figure on either side, said to represent Courage and Constancy. “Take a look at the surrounding wall, there are carvings of mermaids and mermen, as well as groups of bronzes, those on the east symbolise Peace and Progress, the ones on the west are of Industry and Agriculture.” http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptlondon/victoriamem.htm People are sitting around the statue; but you can still make out the different carvings. You move slowly around the circular wall, looking at all the intricate details. You pass two sets of majestic and very regal looking lion sculptures. One set is said to have been a gift from the people of New Zealand.
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5LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
Claire glances at her watch and then over to the tall black and gold railings which surround Buckingham Palace. The railings are already familiar to you I’m sure, as you have probably seen them on the television or in films; they’re a natural part of every image of the Palace. People are beginning to gather at the gates, looking between the bars of the high fence.
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6 LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
dutourdumonde / Shutterstock.comThey seem to be peering up at the house, trying to see signs of life
through one of the many tall, blank windows. “Come on,” Claire says, “we need to go and get a good place before too many people arrive.” Unsure of why you need a good place, you willingly follow Claire towards the Palace. You join the crowds and manage to find a space right at the front. You wrap your hands around the cool metal railings and know that millions of people have stood in the exact same place, also hoping that today might be the day the Queen makes a sudden appearance outside her “house”.
7LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
“We’re here for the changing of the guard. It officially begins at 11.30 am,” Claire tells you. You glance at your own watch and see that it’s only 10.00 am. “I know we’re a little early; but the ceremony always draws a large crowd, so we had to get here before everyone else, to make sure you get the best view.” Claire points to the top of the palace, where a large flag is flapping in the breeze. “See the flag?” She asks. “A flag called the Royal Standard is flown whenever the Queen is in residence in one of the Royal Palaces, on The Queen’s car for official journeys and aircraft, when it’s on the ground. The flag has changed since it was first designed in 1603. Today’s flag is divided into four quarters and symbolises the Union of Ireland, Scotland and England. Wales is not featured because it is a Principality not a kingdom. “The top left and bottom right of the flag represent England and show three gold lions on a red field; the second quarter at the top right represents Scotland and features a red lion rampant on a gold field; the bottom left quarter represents Ireland and is a gold harp on a blue field. “If the Queen is in Buckingham Palace, they fly the Royal Standard flag, if she isn’t, then you’ll see the bright red, white and blue of the Union Jack flag flying instead. We won’t be able to see her, even if she is here, as the private residence is at the back of the palace; but at least you know she’s nearby. The Queen only appears on the balcony for very special occasions, which is why people come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of her and the Royal family. ”I saw the Queen once. I was lucky enough to be invited to the garden party at Sandringham for her Diamond Jubilee - she was beautiful, smaller than you realise; but elegantly dressed in a peachy, orange suit. She had a really warm smile and looked just like somebody’s Grandma!” You fall silent as the crowds continue to gather. There is so much to look at on the Palace, from the pale stone front, with the detailed windows, to the iconic balcony, used during the many appearances over the years. “The building was commissioned in 1705 by the Duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield. It was named Buckingham House after the Duke. It wasn’t initially built for Royalty, who still lived in Saint James’ Palace. “King George III bought the house in 1761 for his wife and he had it altered by William Chambers. It didn’t become a Palace until 1826 when King George IV asked John Nash, an architect, to expand the house into a palace. Unfortunately King George IV died before the Palace was finished. It was completed in July 1837; Queen Victoria was the first royal to live in the Palace. “The East Wing was added in 1850, providing a large number of rooms to the palace, as well as a 40 meter (131 ft) long ballroom. The façade of the east wing was built in 1913 by Sir Aston Webb, the architect who designed The Queen Victoria Memorial and you can see that the two designs tie in well together. “Can you see the figures in red? They are the Queen’s Guards, and are responsible for the safety of the Queen. They stand guard at Buckingham Palace and Saint James’ Palace. If the Queen is in residence there are four, if not there are just two. “There are five different regiments who guard the Palace. They all wear the bright red jackets, with black trousers and the towering black bearskin hat; but there are slight variations in their uniforms. See if you can spot which guard is on duty, by what uniform they are wearing, with this helpful guide. http://projectbritain.com/royal/footguard.htmSee how they all stand to attention and look very formal.” “The Royal family spend part of the year living in the palace and it is also home to many members of staff - that would be quite an address to have wouldn’t it?”:
8 LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
There’s a murmur of voices around you and you see that everybody is looking and pointing at one point. You sense movement and can hear the first sound of a drum. You get a little shiver of goose bumps and then you see the old guards lining up in formation. It’s not just the soldiers in front of Buckingham Palace; there are now rows of men in bright red uniforms. The stamp of their feet and the loud booming shouts of the leader echo around the courtyard. “The New Guard come from Wellington Barracks,” Claire tells you as more men in red appear, marching towards the lines of waiting soldiers. “They parade along the Mall towards Buckingham Palace and during a ceremony replace the existing, Old Guard. The ceremony is accompanied by music played by a military band. The Changing of the Guard or Guard Mounting is between three residences in London that are just a few minutes away from each other - Buckingham Palace, Saint James’ Palace and the home of the guards Wellington Barracks.” The rows of men move in time with each other, each motion is calculated and measured and it’s like watching a shoal of fish, each individual is part of the whole. The Old Guard move off, returning to their barracks and you watch as the New Guard take their place. Then peace descends on the area again and the crowd begins to disperse, moving away to see the rest of the sights in London. You can find out more about the origins of the Changing of the Guard and watch them online… http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/buckinghampalace/what-to-see-and-do/changing-the-guardhttp://www.changing-the-guard.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzctIZreoWQ
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9LONDON HOLIDAY FROM HOME
“Now you’ve seen the changing of the guard, we’re going to go and have a look around The State Rooms of the Palace. The Palace is not the private property of the monarchy rather it belongs to the nation and is open for public viewing. Most people have to wait for August and September, the two months of the year when the palace is not being used by the Royal family. This is when the Queen is in residence at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland. As virtual tourists we get a special pass and can visit any time we like. Come on.” You expect Claire to lead you through the large front gates; but instead she takes you towards the side of the Palace and on to Buckingham Palace Road. Claire sees your look of disappointment. “I bet you’re wishing we could go in through the front gate, unfortunately that is reserved for special events, we will be going in through the public entrance, which is much less grand; but we will see The State Rooms and they will definitely not be disappointing.” You enter the palace and are greeted with an air-port style check in. There are people taking tickets and all visitors pass through a security barrier, checking in any large pieces of luggage. Fortunately you’re travelling light so you can move into the State Rooms without delay. “Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including a throne room, a ballroom, picture gallery, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. There’s even a chapel, post office, swimming pool, staff cafeteria, doctor’s surgery and cinema, specifically for the staff.” Claire tells you. “Unfortunately you won’t get to see most of them, because the tours are confined to the 19 opulent State Rooms in the Palace’s west wing; but they are some of the grandest rooms in the Palace. Follow me for the tour…” http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/BuckinghamPalace/VirtualRooms/Overview.aspxhttp://www.timeless-london-attractions.com/buckingham-palace.html#.T9nJL8Wqi8S
When you’ve had a good look around the Palace, Tim will be waiting to drive you both back to the hotel. There’s no rush, you can spend as long as you like enjoying the experience of being close to Royalty for the day.
The Palace on Film
Tonight when you’re relaxing in your hotel suite, you could watch one of these films for great scenes of the Palace.
• The King’s Speech
• The Duchess
• The Young Victoria
• The Queen
• National Treasure 2
• Casino Royale (1967)