Buckingham Palace

London, England, United Kingdom

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Buckingham Palace in London, England, is the official residence and administrative headquarters of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. Originally built as Buckingham House around 1705 for the Duke of Buckingham, it was purchased by King George III in 1762 and transformed into a palace under George IV in the 1820s. Queen Victoria became the first sovereign to live there in 1837, and since then it has served as the home of every British monarch. The palace contains 775 rooms, including 188 bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, state rooms, offices, and even a post office, movie theater, and swimming pool. Its large private garden is the biggest private garden in London, where the monarch hosts annual summer garden parties. The famous Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place regularly, and tourists can visit the opulent State Rooms during August and September when the King is away on holiday. You can tell if the King is in residence by the flag flying above: the Royal Standard means he is home, while the Union Jack means he is not. The palace remains a powerful symbol of the British monarchy and one of London's most visited tourist attractions.