Visiting London (u. K.) And Buckingham Palace, A Top Tourist Attraction
England is a most amazing country in which to take a vacation. It has an awesome selection of places of interest well worth a visit which cater for all tastes. One such place is the historic city of York which is known to have been inhabited since the times of the Romans, Liverpool (European City of Culture 2008), and Torquay (often called the English Riviera). One of the most famous, and interesting, places to visit is the capital city of London
London is a most incredible location to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, possibly for a full vacation. You may be surprised at the number of people who live in Britain who have not yet visited London, even more surprising when you consider the fact it is commonly top of most visitors lists (of most enjoyable attractions they went to).
There are so many things to do and see in London that it is not possible to list them all at the same time. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular – The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most famous Royal residence, maybe because it is home to Queen Elizabeth II of England. The Palace is is placed right in the heart of London which makes it a natural focus for tourists. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is incredibly fascinating to watch and amazingly English.
Buckingham Palace was originally called Buckingham House. It was originally a large townhouse, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we know it today.
Over the next 75 years Buckingham House was made larger by the construction of an additional 3 wings forming a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were John Nash and Edward Blore. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The widely known architect Aston Webb was responsible for the building of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb along with Sir Thomas Brock, the sculptor, were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial can still be today.
The Queen has a selection of royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen spends the Christmas season at Sandringham House in Norfolk. Sandringham House is a private royal residence (owned by the Queen).
A further private residence is Balmoral Castle, situated in Royal Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Queen was staying in Balmoral Castle when she was told of the tragic incident involving Diana.
If you would like to take a break in the UK then you might be surprised to learn that it is possible to find cheap London hotels without any great difficulty, on the other hand you may desire to reside in more luxurious surroundings and the small selection of London boutique hotels should be more than satisfactory.
