Buckingham Palace

The State rooms house some of the Royal family’s greatest treasures including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto. They are also exquisitely furnished with some of the finest French and English furniture.

Visit the spectacular Palace Ballroom and see the traditional horseshoe-shaped table lavishly decorated for a State Banquet. On display you can see the silver gilt from the Grand service, first used to celebrate the birthday of George III in 1811 as well as jewelled cups, ivory tankards, chased dishes, sconces, shields and basins.

The end of the tour takes you along the south side of the Palace’s gardens with views of the west front of the Palace and the lake.

The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes.

The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace.