Significance of the Buckingham Palace
Origins of the Buckingham Palace
The Buckingham Palace’s history can be traced back to the reign of King James I since 17th century. The king had a plantation of mulberries for rearing of silkworms for the purpose of production of silk. King Charles gave the garden to Lord Aston in 1628. At the place near the garden the house already existed and passed in the hands of several owners up to when it landed in the hands of John Sheffield.
Therefore, it is right to say the Buckingham Palace was originally built as Buckingham House for John Sheffield who later on became the duke of Buckingham. It was built between 1703 and 1705, the house was then bought by king George III in 1761. He purchased it for his wife queen Charlotte and became known as the queen’s palace.
Buckingham House to Buckingham Palace
Further development of the Buckingham House was done by the architect John Nash in 1820s into a marvelous place as it appears today following the directives of King George IV. It became a completely different palace with great beauty. It was turned into a royal residence when Queen Victoria moved into the Palace in 1837 and that move made the Buckingham Palace and official home of the British monarch.
Buckingham Palace today
The Buckingham Palace is nowadays used as the administrative headquarter of the British Monarch. The Buckingham Palace has a total of 775 rooms. The Palace is used for most of the official Monarch events and receptions led by the King himself. Although the Palace is used for official Monarch activities; the royal family may be for being closer to their subject, they leave the Palace open to all visitors in summer.
The state rooms at the Palace are opened to the public and tourists every summer. The Buckingham Palace measures 108 meters long, 120 meters deep and 24 meters high. From the 775 rooms; 19 are used as state rooms which are left open to visitors in summer, 52 are Royal and guest bedrooms, there are 188 staff bedrooms, 92 are offices and 78 are used as bathrooms.
Cultural Significance
The Buckingham Palace, which is a historic architectural landmark, has great cultural symbolic to the United Kingdom since the palace represents the monarchy, national identity and the British traditions. The palace as we have seen above is the official residence of the British monarch and the center of the United Kingdom’s constitutional monarch.
Moreover, the palace is a living representation of more characters of great importance to the British people as it has unique features that are only specific to it; some of them include the following: national unity, royal appearances, living royal residence and royal pageantry.
National unity and Royal pageantry
The Buckingham Palace is a symbol of the British national unity and tradition. It is the platform for many great occasions, such as royal weddings, state visits, jubilee, royal birthday celebrations. Additionally, the Buckingham Palace serves as a stage for many royal events and ceremonies, including the changing of the Guard ceremony.
Living royal residence and Royal appearances
The Buckingham Palace is unique and different from other European palaces as it is still being used as a working royal residence not just a historical attraction even though it is opened to visitors during summer. Moreover, the palace balcony is a platform for royal appearances, such as national holidays and weddings
Touristic attractions
The Buckingham Palace in London is the official living and working royal residence of the United Kingdom monarch. It has a number of attracting events to tourists from all over the world. The touristic attractions include: State rooms, changing the guard, royal mews, and the palace garden.
State Rooms
The Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms of which 19 rooms are state rooms which are normally opened to visitors every summer. The State rooms feature artworks, furnishings, and decorations that demonstrate the royal family’s lifestyle lived over the centuries.
Changing the Guard
Changing the guard is a famous ceremony that takes place every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday morning at 11 AM. The changing of guard happens when the old guard forum up in front of the palace and are replaced by the New guard which arrives from Wellington Barracks. The new guard is accompanied by a band. This ceremony represents a formal handover of responsibilities; this is an exercise of great interests to tourists.
Royal Mews
The royal mews is located behind the palace; it houses the royal collection of carriages and horses. Moreover, the royal mews is charged with the responsibilities for all road travel arrangements for the king and the members of the royal family.
Economic benefits to the local population
The Buckingham Palace is a symbol of the United Kingdom’s monarchy. The Palace contributes tot he United Kingdom through Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in many ways including tourism, trade, media, real estate, heritage sites, foreign investment, and events.
Tourism and Trade
The Buckingham Palace is on among attractive sites to tourists in London. The Buckingham Palace is located in the London boroughts of Kensington and Chelsea; the two generate significant amount of retail spending and stir lots of local businesses. Moreover, the monarchy influences trade, which boosts the economy through the many local businesses.
Real estates, Heritage sites, Foreign investment
The United Kingdom monarchy owns properties such as Windsor Castle, Regent street, and the Royal Ascot race grounds. These properties produce job opportunities and businesses. Additionally, the monarch is a heritage attraction that promotes British brands and generate revenue to the UK’s economy. Furthermore, the monarchy influences foreign investment which stir and boost the economy of the Kingdom.
Conclusion on the Buckingham Palace
It is my hope that the article on the Palace has given you information on lots of matter about the palace. The article has given the historical background of the palace, it has highlighted the cultural significance of the palace and its contribution to economic development in the United Kingdom. The whole story and facts about the Buckingham Palace should be of great inspiration to African leaders and in other developing countries on how they can use their assets for economic development of their countries.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Buckingham Palace
The Buckingham Palace is a subject that brings lots of questions from those with interests in architecture and in medieval buildings. The Buckingham palace which was built in the 18th despite its age continues to attract curious minds. The curious minds are interested in knowing the used technology and what can today’s architects learn from the palace. Here are some of the questions asked online:
- What is the look of the Buckingham Palace inside?
- What does the Buckingham Palace worth?
- Who designed the Buckingham Palace official website?
- Where can I get the Buckingham Palace tickets discount?
- Who lives in Buckingham Palace today?
- Buckingham Palace is located in which country?
- What is happening at Buckingham Palace today?
- How long did it take to build Buckingham Palace?
- Can the used technology be replicated today?
- Who designed and constructed the Buckingham Palace?