Buckingham Palace – London

This was a really interesting trip and is only possible between July and October when the Queen is not in residence. I managed to do this trip while visiting my daughter, Kirsten, who lives in London.

Buckingham Palace is the focus of many royal and national celebrations, and every year is visited by many people from around the globe. It is home to the Queen but is not owned by her; it is instead held in trust by the Crown Estates and is particularly famous for its Changing of the Guard Ceremony. During my visit here, I was able to view a number of rooms, including the Ballroom, the Grand Staircase, the White Drawing Room, and the Treasures of the Palace. It was all quite magnificent, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t take any photographs inside the Palace, even though I could see why. The tour did, however, end up in the extensive gardens where photographs could be freely taken. There was also a well-stocked gift shop, and a lovely café serving afternoon tea – I can never resist a nice afternoon tea! This was an enjoyable trip and well worth doing – a great place to take the whole family.