A version of this story appeared in the June 25 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.
The official London residence of UK sovereigns since 1837, it has 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Today the palace is the monarch’s main office and function space.
In normal times, more than 50,000 people also visit the property every year as invited guests to various state banquets, lunches, receptions and garden parties.
We’ll start at the Grand Entrance, where visitors are usually greeted when they drive in from the front.
At the top of the stairs, you enter the Picture Gallery, where key pieces from the Queen’s priceless art collection usually hang.
The overhaul was approved by the government back in 2017 to ensure it was fit for purpose for years to come and to mitigate the risk of possible fire or water damage.
Back in London, the first major restoration at Buckingham Palace since the end of World War II has revealed something of a makeshift time capsule.
While the Queen isn’t expected to return to the palace full time just yet, things are returning to some sense of normality, and we can expect her to use her administrative hub in London more frequently in the months to come.
Kensington Palace has confirmed Princes William and Harry will appear at the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother, Diana, in the Sunken Garden of the royal residence next Thursday.
Among the pieces curated for the exhibition is the Chair of Estate from the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, a portrait Philip commissioned of himself as chair of the Restoration Committee that oversaw works following the 1992 Windsor fire, and a First Nations feather headdress he was given in 1973 while on a visit to Canada.
The Duchess of Sussex made sure to hide a few nods to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana, in her children’s book, “The Bench.” Meghan said illustrator Christian Robinson included details, like Diana’s favorite flowers, for her son Archie to pick up on.
The historic Swan Upping ceremony — which takes place during the third week of July each year — dates back to the 12th century, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans, which were eaten at banquets and feasts.
One was of the pair with William at an event, while the other was a black-and-white throwback of baby William on his father’s knee.
William attended privately but together with his two eldest children, George and Charlotte, the royals counted down the start of the race.