A Buckingham Palace visit is a bucket list item for millions of people around the world. This iconic building is one of the United Kingdom’s top tourist attractions, and a must-see for anyone with even the slightest interest in British history, the monarchy, or major landmarks in London.
But what makes a trip to Buckingham Palace so special? What is the Royal Mews? And why should you make sure you remember to look up when walking around the palace? We spoke to Alex Little from The Royal Collection Trust to get some amazing insider tips, tricks, and information about planning the perfect Buckingham Palace visit.
Meet your Buckingham Palace insider
What do you do at Buckingham Palace? What does that involve?
I am the Visitor Services Manager for Royal Collection Trust, which means I’m responsible for the operational running of the London sites – Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s Gallery, the Royal Mews, and Clarence House. I actually started as a Summer Warden back in summer 2013, working in The Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews. I’ve now been at the Palace for 9 years – so I came here for a 3-month job and ended up staying for almost a decade!
What do you love most about your role?
I’d have to say the people – that’s probably a bit cheesy, but the people I work with are all so passionate about what they do. There’s a real pride in what we do and where we work. On the flip side, we also have the visitors who come and are so passionate and excited. For some people, visiting Buckingham Palace is a bucket list item, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Getting to make their day has really kept me here.
Buckingham Palace is one of the world’s most iconic buildings. What is it about a Buckingham Palace visit that leaves such a big impression on people?
I think it’s probably different for everyone – whether it’s the history, love of the monarchy, interest in architecture or art… for me, it’s about walking through those incredible rooms that were used by so many historical figures; I love thinking about the conversations that happened in these rooms during state banquets or big events. It’s iconic because of the incredible history it’s been part of, as well as the history we’re still creating, like the Platinum Jubilee!
Tips for your Buckingham Palace visit
The palace also has universally positive reviews on Tiqets. One thing that comes up a lot in these positive reviews is the staff who lead the guided tours and how amazing they are – what makes these tours and their guides so exceptional?
I’m probably a bit biased, as they’re my team! I suppose what makes our guided tours so exceptional is that each guide writes them themselves. We give them an information pack and all the tools they might need, whether that’s based on voice projection or breath control, or how to link your sentences or themes together. We give them these tools and they go and write their own scripts! Every tour is based on the interests of the people who work there, which makes them really special.
You always get something quite personal on a tour: what the guide believes is the most interesting thing to see or talk about. We often get people coming back just so they can try a different tour – focusing on architecture rather than art, for example! I personally think our tour guides are some of the best-in-class, because of their tremendous passion for the subject matter.
Deeply unfair question: what is your personal favourite part of Buckingham Palace?
It’s hard to pick! I’d probably have to say one of my favourites is the Grand Staircase – it’s a big, sweeping staircase, and as you come up there’s a big glass dome above you. You can really feel that you’re in a palace, and can just imagine everyone who’s been on that staircase before – historical figures on their way to balls and parties.
One really lovely thing about it is that around the edges you’ll find portraits of Queen Victoria’s family; it’s like walking into somebody’s living room and seeing all the family pictures on their mantlepiece. Of course this is an iconic building, but it was also a family home! That’s probably my top one.
But I also really love the White Drawing Room. Everything is gold and white; when you think of a palace, this is the kind of room you would think of. Everything is so ornate and sparkly.
Slightly less unfair question: if you had to create a highlights reel for a Buckingham Palace visit, what would you feature?
The Royal Collection is so special because you’ll find everything in it, from portraits and paintings to decorative arts and furniture… there are over a million items.
One of my favourite paintings would probably be The Shipbuilder and his Wife by Rembrandt. I think that is an incredibly intricate and detailed painting, but also something quite natural: a husband and wife interacting. A lot of the team, when doing their tours, ask visitors what they think the couple are saying to each other.
In terms of decorative arts, there are also some stunning sculptures in the Marble Hall. There’s a giant sculpture of Mars and Venus carved by Antonio Canova out of one block of marble; the skill needed to do that is remarkable.
The curatorial and conservation teams do an incredible job of maintaining, interpreting and displaying these artworks and interiors to represent the history of these rooms while still making them suitable for modern use – because of course, Buckingham Palace is still constantly in use as a working palace.
What do you consider the hidden gems at Buckingham Palace? Which parts do you wish people would stop and appreciate more?
I suppose the thing I always think people miss is the ceilings. So often, people are engrossed in the multimedia guide, or reading information, or looking around – but seldom do they actually look up!
The Blue Drawing Room, for instance, has incredible depictions of Shakespeare, Spencer, and Milton – these literary figures are just kind of tucked up into the ceiling and people generally don’t look at them.
The White Drawing Room is also a place where you really need to look up. It’s like a tented canopy, with all the gold and white, and the chandeliers… It’s just amazing architecture that I think people don’t always see.
Many people are quite passionate about the monarchy. Do you often get true royal enthusiasts visiting Buckingham Palace?
Some people wait their whole life to visit Buckingham Palace. There are definitely visitors who have a real passion and interest in the subject. Lots of people have only ever known one monarch, that is The Queen, so walking through the rooms where Her Majesty has carried out so many of her official duties over her 70-year reign can be really meaningful for them.
Transport enthusiasts also definitely come to the Royal Mews to see the cars and carriages, and things like that. We get lots of questions, which we love to answer. It really makes our day, because their excitement is contagious.
For people who want to visit Buckingham Palace but aren’t familiar with some of the surrounding sites – what is the Royal Mews?
We get that question a lot! The Royal Mews is the home of royal transport – the carriages, cars, and horses. All of them are still used today.
Historically, the mews was based elsewhere. The story behind it is that the mews was a place where you would house falcons. They would shed their feathers, which is known as mewing.
Over time, the mews were moved to Buckingham Palace, and instead of falcons they housed horses – but the name ‘mews’ still remained in use for the stables. It’s a unique place and we enjoy sharing the unique history on the guided tours.
What insider tips do you have for first-time Buckingham Palace visitors?
Take your time, enjoy it, and take in as much as possible. Also, know that we offer short talks in The Queen’s Gallery to bring the Royal Collection to life. There are guided tours of the Royal Mews, highlight tours of the garden, and more.
It’s all about talking to staff members and finding out their favourite bits! Just chat to them and ask them a question – they love sharing their favourite highlights and stories. Guided tours and talks can be a wonderful way to find out something that you didn’t know before.
Facts and stories from a Buckingham Palace expert
Do you have a favourite story (or two) from your time at Buckingham Palace?
Over the nine years, it’s hard to choose! One that definitely sticks in my mind is from when I first started as a tour guide for the Royal Mews.
In 2014, it was the State Opening of Parliament. Working in the Mews, obviously I got to look at and talk about these amazing coaches and carriages all the time. However, I got the chance to stand on The Mall looking at these very same carriages go past – for me that was a real ‘’pinch me’’ moment.
All these people and crowds were clamouring to see these coaches and see Her Majesty The Queen travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, and I realised that I got to work with it every single day! Seeing it in action was really incredible – they’re not just museum pieces, but are actually still in use today. Seeing the Collection come to life was a real favourite moment for me.
What’s the history behind the changing of the guard? What are the different types of guards and how can you tell them apart?
The Changing of the Guard as we know it today really started when Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in 1837. There are many different regiments involved. A great tip that I’ve been given is that you can spot the different types of guards by looking at their buttons and their hackles (the feathers or plumes on the side of their bearskin hat).
Different regiments will have different spaces between the buttons, and that’ll tell you whether they’re the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Irish Guards or the Scots Guards, who all make up the Household Division. There are also guest guards who take part – if you see someone not wearing a bearskin hat, they’ll be a guest regiment. There’s also a changing of the guard at Windsor Castle, so it’s not just around Buckingham Palace.
We didn’t know that Buckingham Palace was actually bombed during WWII. Can you tell us more about the palace during this time?
There were a number of bombs that landed around and even hit Buckingham Palace during the Blitz – nine in total.
One of these bombs actually hit what was then a private chapel. When that got bombed, it could no longer be used. That’s how The Queen’s Gallery came to be – it was rebuilt and reopened as a gallery in 1962, at the suggestion of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The gallery as we know it today – an art space with changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection throughout the year – opened during the Golden Jubilee in 2002.
In terms of what life was like, the Queen Mother and King George VI committed to stay in the Palace. They sent Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret to Windsor, so they’d be safe. There’s a famous quote by the Queen Mother about the bombing of Buckingham Palace:
“I’m glad we’ve been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, to a London policeman, 13 September 1940.
Do you have a favourite artwork in The Queen’s Gallery?
It’s really hard to pick a favourite, because we have so many changing exhibitions. Generally, every 6-12 months, a new exhibition will be put on.
Right now we have one titled Japan: Courts and Culture – it’s this incredible exhibition about the relationship between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families through the centuries and the gifts that they exchanged, with a focus on Japanese decorative arts; lacquered boxes, porcelain, beautiful screens with cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, arms and armour… it’s really intricate.
I don’t know how I could pick a single piece! That’s what makes the Collection so special – there’s really something for everyone. One of our aims is to make sure as many people can engage with the Collection as possible. The Queen’s Gallery, with its different exhibitions, is a very special place for that reason.
Lastly: if people want to plan a Buckingham Palace visit as part of a royal adventure around London (and perhaps the rest of the UK), where else should they consider going?
Buckingham Palace is open to the public in the summer, between 22 July and 2 October this year – so it’s definitely important to book in advance.
One other place I’d recommend people to go is Windsor Castle, only a short train journey away. It’s open all year round and the interiors have a lot of the opulence of Buckingham Palace, but also so much history; it’s the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and has been home to 39 monarchs. Not many places can say that! It is also one of Her Majesty The Queen’s official residences, and today is where she spends much of her time.
I’d be remiss not to mention the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh – that once again has an amazing history and connection to the monarchy. We call it the home of Scottish royal history, and visitors love seeing the rooms in the north-west tower where Mary, Queen of Scots lived. It’s a well-known fact that the royal family love their time in Scotland – The Queen spends a week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse each year, hosting a garden party and other official events, and of course, Her Majesty goes to Balmoral each summer.
In summer 2022, we have Platinum Jubilee special displays opening at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, each celebrating a different historic occasion in Her Majesty’s reign – why not try to visit all three?
