1. Buckingham Palace
One of Britain’s most
recognisable landmarks, Buckingham Palace is the office and official
residence of the Queen. Every August and September the Queen opens her
home to visitors, giving you the chance to tour the lavish
State Rooms
and Garden, and see some great treasures from the Royal Collection
along the way. And don’t forget to catch the spectacular Changing the
Guard ceremony - daily from May to July, and on alternative days for the
rest of the year.
2. Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
has been home to many members of the Royal Family, including Queen
Victoria, Diana, Princess of Wales, and now the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge. Pay the Palace a visit and discover stories from Queen
Victoria's life told in her own words in the Victoria Revealed
exhibition; master the games of royal court in the magnificent King's
State Apartments; get a glimpse of a modern Princess in a special
exhibition of some of Diana's dresses and uncover the secrets of a
fragile dynasty in the beautiful Queen's State Apartments.
3. Windsor Castle
Not only is
Windsor Castle
the Queen’s favourite residence, it’s also the largest and oldest
occupied castle in the world. Don’t miss the magnificent State
Apartments, St George’s Chapel (the burial ground of 10 monarchs), the
Drawings Gallery with its changing exhibitions, and Queen Mary’s Dolls’
House - the most famous dolls’ house in the world.
4. Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
is steeped in over 1000 years of history, and has been the setting for
the Coronation of every English monarch from 1066. It has also seen 16
royal weddings, including the Queen’s marriage to HRH The Duke of
Edinburgh, and most recently, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge.
5. Balmoral Castle & Estate
Purchased by Queen Victoria in 1848,
Balmoral Castle
in Aberdeenshire has been a private Scottish home of the British Royal
Family ever since. The Queen and her family usually spend their summer
on the estate, which opens its grounds, gardens and Castle Ballroom to
the public from April to July each year.
6. Sandringham House & Estate
Sandringham House
in Norfolk is one of the Queen’s favourite houses, and where she
chooses to spend Christmas with her family. Since 1862, Sandringham has
been the private home of four generations of monarchs and was once
described as ‘The most comfortable house in England’. You can see for
yourself as the house, gardens and museum are open to the public from
April to November.
7. Palace of Holyroodhouse
No trip to Edinburgh would be complete without a visit to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse,
the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. The Palace is best known as
the home of Mary, Queen of Scots – she was married here, and witnessed
the brutal killing of her secretary in her private apartments. A tour of
the Palace will take you to the State Apartments, the gardens and the
Queen’s Gallery, where you’ll find changing exhibitions from the Royal
Collection.
8. Hampton Court Palace
The magnificent
Hampton Court Palace
in Richmond, London, was Henry VIII’s favourite royal residence. Step
back in time for a taste of Tudor life in Henry VIII’s kitchens; lose
yourself in the famous Hampton Court Maze; attend a service at the
beautiful Chapel Royal and explore the Hampton Court gardens –
internationally renowned for being amongst the most beautiful gardens in
the world.
9. Edinburgh Castle
Perched on top of an extinct volcano at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile,
Edinburgh Castle
is the city’s most popular tourist attraction. It became Scotland's
chief royal castle in the Middle Ages and is now home to the Scottish
Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, the famous 15th century gun Mons
Meg, the One O' Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland.
10. Tower of London
One of the world’s most famous fortresses, the
Tower of London
has seen service as a royal palace, prison, armoury and even a zoo.
Today, it’s a World Heritage Site, where you’ll be dazzled by the Crown
Jewels; hear tales from the Tower on a Yeoman Warder tour; stand in the
spot where Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were
executed and discover 500 years of spectacular royal armour in the Fit
for a King exhibition.
