A BRITISH ICON:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND CHANGING OF GUARD

Buckingham Palace is the place where the Royal British family works and lives. This palace is the Queen Elizabeth II´s residence. Buckingham Palace is also used for celebrating official ceremonies such as feasts for presidents who visit the country or the city of London. 

About three hundred people work in the palace, including civil servants from the Royal House and domestic staff. Beside, more than fifty people working as the palace staff live inside.

Queen Victoria was the first member of the royal British family who has lived in this palace. The front of the building is contemporary (1913) and, through its windows, there are wonderful sights to The Mall. It is a Royal family tradition to wave at their nation from one of its balconies, facing The Mall.

Official Halls open to the public during summer. And it is also in summer when the changing of the guard is made more regularly. In addition, they do it in a colourful and musical ceremony and parade.  

Buckingham Palace guards keep on wandering the gardens and the facilities, although the Queen´s role is a symbolic one. The amazing Changing of the Guard ceremony, with their sparkling uniforms and military music, consists on the change of the guards at the front garden of the palace. The guard is formed by three officers and forty soldiers when the Queen is in the palace. The Royal flag is raised when the Queen is inside Buckingham Palace.