Buckingham Palace Tour July 23- October 3 2011

Why not visit Buckingham Palace this summer? Explore the magnificent State Rooms, lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection. A visit includes the special exhibition Royal Fabergé, a dazzling display of over 100 masterpieces from Imperial Easter Eggs and jewel-encrusted boxes to miniature carvings of favourite royal pets.

Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.

Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.

Tickets are available online.

Opening hours

23 July - 3 October 2011

09:30-18:30 (last admission 16:15) A tour typically takes 2-3 hours.

Book your London Hotel at the same time.The Palm Hotel is a stylish luxury boutique hotel, located just four and a half miles from central London's Oxford Circus and only five minutes from the M1 motorway.

Trooping the Colour

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines.

This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen's Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.

Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding side-saddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honour in rotation as operational commitments permit.

Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.

Precisely as the clock on the Horse Guards Building strikes eleven, the Royal Procession arrives and The Queen takes the Royal Salute. The parade begins with the Inspection, The Queen driving slowly down the ranks of all eight Guards and then past the Household Cavalry. After the event, the Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF flypast

If you missed the Royal Wedding this is a second chance this year to see British Pageantry at its best. Book your North London Hotel for you London Visit now.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1. Tube: Victoria.

Originally built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, this has been the London residence of the Royal Family since 1837. The Royal Standard flies above the Palace when the Queen is in residence. State Rooms open 7 August-28 September only (See Future Events section for details).

Changing of the Guard takes place here.