Buckingham Palace, London, England. By John Bermont.

INTRODUCTION

The ceremony "Changing of the Guard" takes place in front of Buckingham Palace. This is not related to visiting hours for the palace and there is no charge to watch the men in big fuzzy hats. But this only happens when the queen is in residence, as evidenced by the royal flag flying over the Palace.

Originally built in the early 1700s by the Duke of Buckingham, the future palace was purchased in 1762 by King George III for his wife and their 15 children. This King was better known for "Despotism" and for "seeking the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States." At least that is what Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolutionaries said in a Declaration of Independence, signed one and all at Philadelphia, July 4, 1776. It was really the British Parliament that ordered most of the dirty work — imposing unreasonable taxes, breaking into private homes, and such.

The palace is well furnished and decorated with paintings and artifacts as you would expect royals to own. It is rather glittery in there. The Royal Mews is the queen's garage and stable, with separate entry conditions.

Buckingham Palace
Location:	Buckingham Palace Road
Telephone:	+44 (0)20 7766 7300
Hours:	26 July - 31 August 2014 Open daily 09:30-19:30 (last admission 17:15) 1-28 September 2014 Open daily 09:30-18:30 (last admission 16:15) A typical visit lasts about 2 hours.
Cost:	Adult £34.50 Over 60/ Student (with valid ID) £31.50 Under 17 £19.50 Under 5 Free Family £88.50 (2 adults and 3 under 17s) A booking fee of £1.25 per ticket applies.
Disabled:	Call Ticket Sales & Information Office +44 (0)20 7766 7324
Underground	Victoria, Green Park, and Hyde Park Corner
Regulations:	No photography. Cell phones must be switched off. Photography and cell phones are allowed in the garden.
Web Site:	The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace

Royal Mews
Location:	Buckingham Palace
Hours 2014:	3 February - 31 March Monday to Saturday 10:00-16:00 (last admission 15:15) 1 April - 31 October Open daily 10:00-17:00 (last admission 16:15) 1-30 November Monday to Saturday 10:00-16:00 (last admission 15:15) A typical visit lasts 1 hour.
Closed:	18 April, 31 May, 3 June, 7 June, 14 June. During State Visits and royal events
Cost:	Standard prices Adult £8.75 Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £8.00 Under 17 £5.40 Under 5 Free Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £22.90
Web Site	The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace

Changing of the Guard, a.k.a., Guard Mounting
Location:	Buckingham Palace
Hours:	April - July daily 11h30 Rest of the year, alternate dates.
Closed:	Rainy days.
Cost:	Free
Web Site	Changing the Guard

Source: Information has been extracted from The Royal Collection official web site April 2014. Opening times and availability of some features may change due to government activities.

MORE MUSEUMS

For similar information on other museums in Europe see the directory at Major European Museums: Travelers Portfolio™. This is a work in process.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

These pages provide additional basic information about the United Kingdom, a.k.a. The UK.

United Kingdom: Prime Travel Data.

Prime Travel Data: Elementary Travel Information for Europe.

Enjoy-Europe.com: Home page.

Recommended books for further information:

The links below take you directly to a page at Amazon.com with details about the book. In many cases the Amazon.com listing includes readers' comments and sample pages from the book. You then have the opportunity to add the book to your shopping cart and buy it. I buy virtualy all of my books at Amazon.com and have had excellent service for years.