Day: 22-23 Km travelled: 477.3km Steps: 27,081
September 28th-29th 2017
While the concept of traveling to exotic new places for an entire year was certainly thrilling and highly anticipated, there was one thing in particular that I was most excited about: my visit to Buckingham Palace! And not just to Buckingham Palace, but inside Buckingham Palace! Having stood in front of the East Front, the principal façade of the palace on a prior visit to the city, the tour inside the Queen’s residence had eluded me. After the purchase of my plane ticket to start this whole crazy adventure, the very next thing I booked was a tour of the palace. My ‘Royal Day Out’ included access to the Queen’s Gallery, The Royal Mews & The State Rooms, basically every single thing accessible to visitors. Go big or go home!
My train arrived in London just before supper, the journey through the ” Chunnel” (officially named the ‘Channel Tunnel’, a 50.45-kilometre rail tunnel linking the UK to mainland Europe through France. It crosses beneath the English Channel at the Dover Straight and is 380 feet below sea level). I’d long romanticized the idea of crossing the chunnel and was excited at the prospect; however, I hadn’t factored in the quiet, rhythmical movement of the high-tech train and the darkness & lack of scenery encountered in the tunnel. It made for quite the enjoyable nap! I awoke just at the end, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle country #2. As London is a notoriously expensive city to visit, I had chosen to stay slightly outside the city centre, in Canary Wharf, the business district of London. I spent that first evening quietly wandering the wharf, checking out the wine bar and cafés that dotted the waterfront, already anticipated what the next day would hold.
I arrived early (as usual) to the palace and benefitted from some quiet time away from the crowds to gaze upon the stone building that has so long help my imagination. As soon as I arrived, I felt something stir in me that I hadn’t yet felt over the past few weeks of this adventure: pure excitement. While I had greatly enjoyed most part of my time in France and truly had a lot of fun, this was the first time that I was truly excited. The OMG-I-can’t-believe-I’m-here-this-is-so-cool kind of excitement. This was the ‘aha’ moment of the trip.
Built in the City of Westminster, the first house on the site was constructed in 1703. The renowned architect John Nash is responsible to enlarging and modernizing the palace in the 19th century, transforming it into the palace we know today. It is the official residence and administrative headquarters of the crown, apparently much to the chagrin of certain monarchs ( it is rumoured that Edward the VIII & the current Queen herself were reluctant to establish their home in the cold, unwelcoming palace).
The interior and grounds of the palace are only open to visitors for a few short weeks in the summer, when the Queen is away in Scotland. Luckily this year, the timeline was extended and coincided perfectly with my travel plans. The day started out with a visit to ‘The Queen’s Gallery’, an art gallery created to exhibit some of the masterpieces in the Royal Collection. Canaletto and the Art of Venice was the exhibit on display during my visit. The Royal Collection has one of the world’s finest grouping of the famed Venetian painter.
The next stop: The Royal Mews. The Royal Mews houses the royal stables, carriage house and garage – a one-stop shop for all royal modes of transportation. I happen to stumble upon a free guided tour and delighted in the informative and sometimes outrageous stories he had to share.
Queen Alexandra’s State Coach. Built in 1865, it is still in use, carrying the Imperial State Crown (sans monarch) and other paraphernalia to and from state openings of Parliament every year. 
Diamond Jubilee State Coach. A generous gift from the people of Australia to initially commemorate the Queen’s 80th birthday, it’s 8 year delay transformed it into a commemorative gift for the Diamond Jubilee instead.
Each lantern was handmade by Edinburg Crystal and reportedly are worth up to 400 000 British pounds each. The door handles are encrusted with 24 diamonds and 130 sapphires.
The coach is said to be the Queen’s favourite, as it was outfitted with such modern comforts as electric windows and heaters. While a very modern coach (it boasts a 360 degree ‘coachcam’ to provide a monarch‘s view of the process via video feed), it is a veritable museum on wheels, containing over 1000 years of history. A part of the Stone of Destiny or Stone of Scone –the stone that for centuries is traditionally placed under the throne in Westminster Abbey for every royal coronation – has been embedded under the monarch’s seat.
Many historical items are pieces of wood that have been fashioned into squares used to decorate the interior walls and door panels. Some of these items include: slivers of Robert Falcon Scott’s Antarctic sled & Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree; a piece of one of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest ladders; fragments of the beams of most of Britain’s great cathedrals; wood from the door of 10 Downing Street; timber from the Tower of London and from Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic base as well as reclaimed material from several of histories greatest ships dated as far back as Henry VIII. The gilded gold crown that sits atop the roof was carved using oak from Admiral Nelson’s famed ship, HMS Victory. Segments related to Shakespeare, Charles Darwin & Florence Nightingale were also included as well as digital copies of the Magna Carta and Domesday Book. Military relics such as part of a musket ball from the Battle of Waterloo and a button from Gallipoli were also integrated into the coach.
The Gold State Coach, Commissioned in 1760 by George IV, this gilded coach is by far the most impressive coach in the collection. Weighing four tons and measuring 24 feet long, it is also the heaviest and the longest. The ancient suspension system on the coach and the lack of modern comforts resulted in King George VI’s (the current Queen’s father) famous statement that the ride from the palace to Westminster Abbey for his coronation was “one of the most uncomfortable rides I have ever had in my life”. Due to its massive size, an entire wall of the building where it is housed must be removed and the carriage turned manually by several employees in order to remove it from its place of storage. Luckily, this coach is only used for grand state occasions such as coronations or jubilees.
The final destination on my royal tour was the much-anticipated visit to the State Apartments. Sadly, photos of the interior are not permitted however you can click here for a virtual tour, courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust. The tour was everything I had expected and more! Lavishly decorated and draped in gold, the State Apartments are exactly how you imagine a royal palace. Walking through the rooms, imagining the history and conversation that have taken place in these halls, I was in awe. I could go on and on, but I won’t!
Luckily for me, there was a torrential downpour at the end of the visit. Why was this lucky, you may ask? Well, as the visit concludes in the garden where a convenient cafe has been set up on the terrace, I was forced to prolong my day at the palace and have a snack on the Queen’s patio!
Buckingham Palace Garden & terrace
Leaving Buckingham Palace several hours later, I was elated. For most people, this tour would have been interesting however for me, it was quite literally a dream come true. Those that know me are well aware of my uncommon fascination with the Queen. Having the opportunity to visit her home was for me one of those little girl fantasy that I was finally able to make a reality. We all have those things or people or places that mean something to us and hold a special fascination for us. This was mine. I lingered as long as I could, walking slowly through the wooded path to the gate, relishing in the final moments of this experience. My arms laden with purchases from the various royal shops, I finally left the grounds feeling like I’d accomplished something important today:
Bucket list item: check √
Loved this entry! This is what traveling is all about.