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Buckingham Palace Facts & Worksheets

Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of all monarchs of the United Kingdom

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Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of all monarchs of the United Kingdom, and it is now the monarch’s administrative headquarters. In Buckingham Palace, there are 19 staterooms, 52 royal and guest rooms, 188 staff rooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, and other rooms, totaling 775 rooms.

See the fact file below for more information on Buckingham Palace or alternatively, you can download our 35-page Buckingham Palace worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The palace takes its name from the house built for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, in the early 17th century. George III bought Kew Palace, then known as the Dutch House, in 1781 as a family house. It became known as The Queen’s House, which is now Buckingham Palace. In the 1820s, John Nash began the process of converting the house into a palace on George IV’s orders.
  • The palace is the monarch’s official residence and administrative headquarters in London. The palace, which is located in the City of Westminster, is frequently the focal point of state functions and royal hospitality.
  • At times of national celebration and sadness, it has been a focal point for the British people.
  • Buckingham Palace is Crown Estate and the monarch’s official residence and administrative headquarters in London. Unlike Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, which the monarch privately owns.
  • The Queen and Prince Philip spent the majority of their time at Buckingham Palace, located in the center of London.
  • In 1531, Henry VIII took the Hospital of St James from Eton College; it later became St. James’s Palace. In 1536, he took the Manor of Ebury from Westminster Abbey. Buckingham Palace was back under royal control approximately 500 years after William the Conqueror had given them away.
  • Lord Goring became the next owner in 1633, extending William Blake’s mansion. It became known as Goring House. He then developed Goring Great Gardens. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH AND HER REIGN 

  • She was born on April 21, 1926, in Mayfair, London, United Kingdom.
  • Since her father, King George VI, died in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II has been the monarch of the United Kingdom.
  • With her late husband, Prince Philip, the 95-year-old monarch has four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
  • In history, Elizabeth is the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch, the longest-serving female monarch, the oldest living and longest-reigning present monarch, and the longest-serving incumbent monarch in Britain.
  • The Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, Canadian patriation, and the decolonization of Africa have all shaped Elizabeth’s reign as a constitutional monarch.
  • Princess Elizabeth was the eldest of King George VI’s daughters and was next in line to succeed him. At the age of 25, she acceded the throne and became Queen Elizabeth II, with all the obligations that came with it.

HOW BUCKINGHAM PALACE WAS PLANNED 

  • Buckingham Palace was built in 1703 for John Sheffield – the 3rd Earl of Mulgrave – as Buckingham House and served as the royal family’s home and administrative center for hundreds of years.
  • The palace’s facade is 108 meters long, 120 meters wide, and 24 meters high, with a total floor area of 77,000 square meters, nearly 830,000 square feet.
  • The main rooms are located on the piano nobile (principle floor), which is located behind the palace’s west-facing garden facade. In addition to the rooms, there’s also a post office, movie theater, swimming pool, doctor’s office, and a jeweler’s workshop.
  • The Music Room, with a wide bow as the dominant feature of the facade, is at the heart of this opulent suite of royal rooms that are oblique to the Blue and White Drawing Room.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE’S INTERIOR

  • The Picture Gallery is illuminated from above and 50 meters long, located at the center of the suite that serves as a corridor connecting to the staterooms.
  • The Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room are located next to the Picture Gallery and feature works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Vermeer, and others.
  • The Green Drawing Room is part of the ceremonial route to the throne from the Guard Room at the top of the Grand Staircase, and it serves as a vast anteroom to The Throne Room.
  • In a tribune adorned with tapestries, the Guard Room has white marble statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in Roman costume.
  • The 1844 Room was decorated in honor of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia’s official visit, and the 1855 Room was decorated in honor of Emperor Napoleon III of France’s visit. These are two examples of rooms named and designed for specific visits.
  • It is through the Bow Room that tens of thousands of guests walk each year when they attend the Queen’s garden festivities.
  • The Brighton Pavilion was looted again of its fixtures between 1847 and 1850 when Edward Blore began erecting the new east wing. As a result, several of the new wing’s rooms have a distinct oriental feel. With a massive oriental chimneypiece built by Robert Jones and carved by Richard Westmacott, the red and blue Chinese Luncheon Room is made up of portions of the Brighton Banqueting and Music Rooms.
  • The Kylin Clock, or the elegant clock, was created in the second part of the 18th century in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province of China; It contains a later mechanism by Benjamin Vulliamy circa 1820.
  • The Yellow Drawing Room contains a chimneypiece that is a European concept of how the Chinese chimneypiece might look, as well as wallpaper that was given in 1817 for the Brighton Saloon. Robert Jones created it with nodding mandarins in niches and terrifying winged dragons.
  • The iconic balcony with the Centre Room behind its glass doors is at the heart of the east wing. Queen Mary, in collaboration with Sir Charles Allom, designed a more conclusive saloon in Chinese pattern.
  • Despite the lacquer doors being imported from Brighton in 1873, the Chinese theme was prevalent in the late 1920s. The Great Gallery, also known as the Principal Corridor, runs the length of the east wing’s piano nobile.
  • It runs the length of the quadrangle on the eastern side where porcelain pagodas and other oriental furniture from Brighton are reflected in the mirrored doors and cross walls. The Yellow Drawing Room and the Chinese Luncheon Room are at each end of the gallery, with the Centre Room in the middle.
  • Foreign heads of state are usually entertained by the Queen at Buckingham Palace while visiting the UK on state visits. On the ground floor of the north-facing Garden Wing, they are assigned an extensive suite of rooms known as the Belgian Suite, located at the foot of the Minister’s Staircase.
  • The 1844 Room, a sitting chamber that functions as an audience room frequently used for personal investiture, is located in this building. Narrow corridors link the suite rooms with saucer domes created by Nash in the style of Soane that reflect the considerable height and perspective.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE COURT CEREMONIES

  • Investitures and other honors including the bestowing of knighthoods by dubbing with a sword, are held in The Ballroom, completed in 1854. It is the palace’s largest room measuring 36.6 meters long, 18 meters broad, and 13.5 meters high.
  • The ballroom has taken the position of the throne room in terms of importance and usage. During investitures, the Queen sits on the throne dais beneath a shamiana or baldachin, a huge, domed velvet canopy first used at the Delhi Durbar in 1911.
  • As prize recipients approach the Queen and receive their honors.
  • The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a ceremonial activity watched by many. At the event, the current Queen’s Guard hands over responsibility to the new guards. 
  • The Ballroom is also used for state banquets held on the first evening of a foreign head of state’s visit.
  • At state banquets, the Grand Service, a collection of a silver-gilt plate constructed in 1811 for the Prince of Wales George IV, is laid out on the dinner table for 170 guests in ceremonial dress with their tiaras with white tie and decorations.
  • Every November, the Queen entertains members of the diplomatic corps. She holds the grandest and most ceremonial banquet at Buckingham Palace.
  • The 1844 Room is used for smaller events, such as the arrival of new ambassadors. The Queen also has modest luncheons here as well as Privy Council meetings regularly.
  • The curved and domed Music Room or the State Dining Room are frequently used for larger lunch parties. 
  • Since the bombing of the palace chapel in World War II, royal christenings have occasionally been held in the Music Room. All three of the Queen’s children were baptized there.
  • On all ceremonial occasions, they are attended by the Yeomen of the Guard in their ancient costumes, and other court officials such as the Lord Chamberlain, on all formal occasions.
  • Men who did not wear a military uniform used to wear knee breeches made in the 18th century.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDEN AND SURROUNDINGS

  • Each summer, the Queen organizes annual garden parties and huge events to commemorate royal anniversaries, such as jubilees. The 16-hectare property includes a tennis court, lake, and helicopter landing pad.
  • The Royal Mews, designed by John Nash is where the royal carriages are kept, including the Gold State Coach.
  • Sir William Chambers designed this the gilded Gold State Coach coach in 1760. It features panels painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani.

Buckingham Palace Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Buckingham Palace across 35 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about the Buckingham Palace which has served as the official London residence of all monarchs of the United Kingdom.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Buckingham Palace Facts
  • Major Events
  • Ceremonies
  • Buckingham Palace Figures
  • All About Queen Elizabeth
  • Buckingham Palace Timeline
  • Looking Back
  • Inside Buckingham Palace
  • Famous Personalities
  • Floor Plan
  • What Have You Learned?

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Link will appear as Buckingham Palace Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 7, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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