Visit Britain’s Royal Palaces this Summer
During the British summer the splendid gates of the King’s Palaces are opened to the public, giving us the opportunity to explore their treasure-trove of historic items, paintings by the great masters, breath-taking architecture and of course their legendary stories.
Visit the new Coronation exhibition on display at Buckingham Palace, showcasing the items worn or used by the King & Queen during their glorious Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The United Kingdom’s renowned tradition for fine architecture, elegant craftsmanship and passion for preserving the many fine buildings both private & public across the UK, makes Britain a brilliant destination for any architectural lover, historian or royal fan. The palaces & official residences of the House of Windsor exemplify that tradition, and rank amongst the greatest and most historically important buildings across the globe. Windsor Castle is after all the largest inhabited castle in the world, Buckingham Palace has no less than 700 rooms and Balmoral Castle sits at the centre of a vast 50,000 acre royal estate.
Whilst you cannot visit all of them, the official residences of the royal house are often routinely open to the public, whilst not in use by members of the royal family. Since the time of Queen Victoria it is traditional that the monarch spends their summer in the heavenly tranquility of the Scottish Highlands. This gives us the opportunity to visit the King’s other residences, namely: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Royal Mews which houses the collection of fine carriages and the stunning horses who pull them, is also open, giving you the opportunity to view the Gold State Coach used by their majesties in May, following in the footsteps of successive monarchs dating back to King George III. The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is also open to the public this summer, the gallery houses some of the many great pieces of art that make up the Royal Collection, including work by the Old Masters such as Reubens & Rembrandt.
Other royal residences including Clarence House and Frogmore House are also sometimes open to the public.
All royal residences are administered and managed by the Royal Collection Trust, which cares for both the buildings, artefacts and artwork that are used by the royal house. Their meticulous care is why these buildings of highly significant national & historical importance, are both in such good condition and open to the public. The RCT puts on a variety of exhibitions based on their fabulous collection every year.
So it is only fitting that this year the flagship exhibition at Buckingham Palace centres around the Coronation and the many fabulous objects used during the weekend of celebrations. The vast ballroom of the palace features the gorgeous robes used by their majesties, the anointing screen, thrones and other objects such as the Coronation necklace, used during the big day, giving you an utterly unique opportunity to get to see these items up close. Outside you will also be able to the view the Diamond Jubilee State Coach used in the procession to the abbey by the King & Queen.
This specific exhibition about the Coronation runs from: 14 JULY – 24 SEPTEMBER 2023. To learn more about the exhibition and visiting the royal residences, head to the RCT website here.
