Check out Charlie’s Pad this summer as Buckingham Palace officially opens its doors
Cosplaying as a royal just got real
There are a lot of doors we’d like to snoop in collectively, that’s probably why Rightmove is such a thriving website. It’s not because there are so many people looking to buy houses (in this economy??), but because we all love having a snoop around fancy houses we can’t afford and criticise the designer interiors and decide it’s not for us based on the kooky layout of the kitchen rather than the £3 million price tag. Luckily, this summer you can go one step further than an online snoop and step inside one of the most prestigious postcodes in the country.
Buckingham Palace is throwing open its lavish doors gates and letting the public into the gorgeous gaff. On selected dates between 9th July and 27th September, the pretty palace will be letting Londoners run wild (okay, walk and gawp in an orderly fashion) through some of its most closed-off areas, gaping at some of its swanky regal rooms.
You will need a ticket to head inside the royal residence, and they’re already on sale for both self-guided tours and the official guided Palace tours, which take place from October to May every year. If you want to opt for the self-guided sejourns around the Palace, you may want to be speedy about getting your hands on a ticket as plenty have already been snapped up as Londoners apparently can’t wait for a sneaky peek behind the royal curtain. In advance, tickets for a standard adult are £33, with on-the-day tickets being £37.
If you’re wondering what bang you’ll be getting for your buck (or bank), then cast your minds back to Primary School projects on vague history details. Buckingham Palace has a whopping 19 state rooms in total, each decked out to the royal hilt with lavish interiors and plenty of golden fixtures.
Visitors will be able to check out highlights like the Throne Room, which, aside from The Crown, you’ll recognise from plenty of royal wedding photos over the years. As well as the Throne Room, guests will be able to wander through the Music Room – home to many royal Christenings, the Blue Drawing Room, the stunning Picture Gallery, the Ballroom, and the Grand Staircase, which will make you feel like a member of the landed gentry just from laying eyes on it.
The self-guided tour, despite the name, won’t let you wander off into King Charles’ bedroom, in fact, there’s still quite a few areas that will be off limits. If you find you do want to keep snooping, I mean, exploring, then you might want to add on a guided tour which will take you through the East Wing (yes, the home to that famous balcony) as well as the stunning Palace Garden.
You can find tickets for both tours here.
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