Buckingham House was acquired by the royal family in the mid-18th century and became a formal palace under King George IV. In the 1820s, King George IV and architect John Nash expanded the house, adding numerous rooms and elaborate decor, transforming it into Buckingham Palace.

While there have been some upgrades over the years, they haven’t kept the residential and official areas up to date. In 2017, the British government allocated $500 million for upgrades to water pipes, electrical wiring, light fittings, and radiators, some of which dated back to pre-WWII. According to Sir Alan Reid, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, water often leaks from the roof of Buckingham Palace, requiring buckets to catch it.

Safety issues also need addressing; at one point, a piece of falling masonry nearly hit Princess Anne. The repairs are planned to take more than 10 years as a multiphase operation.

The British government may have invested $500 million into revamping Buckingham Palace, but it wasn’t without controversy. In anticipation of the repairs, a petition circulated in the United Kingdom demanding the royal family pay for the repairs themselves.

Several members of Parliament echoed the call for the royals to fund the renovation, but Queen Elizabeth II insists she doesn’t own Buckingham Palace, unlike several of her other residences. As a working home, however, Buckingham Palace serves as the base residence for the queen.

On the north side of Buckingham Palace were Queen Elizabeth II’s private apartments. She personally paid for the furnishings in her nine-room apartment.

Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth and her late husband, Prince Philip, slept in separate rooms because the queen preferred to have the windows open, even during the coldest months. This practice was common among the British upper class, according to Lady Pamela Hicks, Philip’s first cousin.

Named the Throne Room, one of the state rooms in Buckingham Palace housed two thrones known as the Chairs of Estate. These chairs were crafted for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, in 1953. Also present in the room were chairs used by previous rulers, including King George VI, crowned in 1937, and Queen Victoria, crowned in 1837.

Elizabeth II’s throne was adorned with ‘EIIR’ – her royal cypher for “Elizabeth II Regina” – and had only been sat upon once. Following her coronation ceremony, the queen used the Throne Chair, now located at Windsor Castle.

The 40-acre gardens at Buckingham Palace showcased over 300 types of British wildflowers, 150 trees, 30 species of birds, and numerous moths and butterflies. Within the garden, there was a 3-acre lake with its own small island, where Italian honeybees were kept. The queen relished the organic honey produced by these bees.

London’s oldest helicopter pad occupied some garden space, alongside amenities like a tennis court, the Herbaceous Border, and ornamentation such as the Waterloo Vase.

Buckingham Palace was largely self-sufficient, providing amenities such as a post office, cafeteria, movie theater, and doctor’s office for the staff. These features allowed employees to take care of personal matters without needing to leave the palace grounds. Additional facilities included a swimming pool, gym, and chapel. Staff could also participate in activities like book clubs or choirs, and access on-site counseling services.

The cost of medical facilities became a matter of public criticism in 2008. The Health Service Journal revealed that 300 household staff were receiving medical services at a rate nearly twice the national average. This raised concerns, particularly as the National Health Service in Britain closed down much larger medical practices with lower expenses.

At one point, Buckingham Palace had a staff bar, but Dickie Arbiter, former press officer for Queen Elizabeth II, mentioned that it was closed due to staff being “worse for wear.”

According to reports, the queen shut down the on-site watering hole. However, on at least one occasion, she served drinks in the palace, handing the Queen Mother’s upholsterer, Kevin Andrews, a “builder’s tea”: a mug of tea with two sugars.

In the basement of Buckingham Palace, there’s a Coutts bank ATM that provides members of the royal family with access to cash at any time. Although Queen Elizabeth II is said to never carry cash, the presence of the ATM is convenient due to the palace’s dual role as both a royal residence and a site for matters of state, ensuring regular presence of the royals.

Coutts, one of the oldest banks in the world, caters to the highest echelons of society, including the late Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002. The Queen Mother once overdrew 4 million pounds from the bank, although not from the ATM, which was installed in 2001.

Buckingham Palace features 188 staff bedrooms, small quarters where workers sleep while on duty. When Buckingham Palace advertised for a housekeeping assistant in 2016, the position required staying at the palace full-time, with employees sleeping and eating while working an unspecified number of hours. Perks of a job at Buckingham Palace include exclusive phone packages and car leasing discounts.

Positions at Buckingham Palace come with extensive training, with everyone from telephone operators to butlers learning how to deliver “extraordinary service in incredible surroundings.”

Former Buckingham Palace butler Richard Kerrigan recalled an unexpected encounter with the queen. While standing and walking on a 180-person table to fix a flower arrangement, he found himself face-to-face with Her Majesty. Unable to speak to the monarch unless approached by her, he continued his task, thinking it was “quite a normal thing, but she’s checking to make sure everything suits her… With the events, we see her all the time.”

Not being able to talk to the queen was only one of the rules Kerrigan had to follow as a palace butler. He once got caught trying to take a picture inside the palace, which is strictly forbidden. During dinner service, he and the other servers watched the “green and… red traffic light system” to see when they were allowed to leave and enter the room.

Discretion and protocol are maintained at all times. Simon Morgan, Royal Protection Officer from 2006 to 2013, echoed this sentiment when he recalled his time at the palace. He was both in awe of and deferential about being allowed into “places you wouldn’t normally have access to,” he said.

“You are very fortunate to be in these positions, to travel by private charter, or travel first class, or to be on super-yachts, or to eat in some of the nicest restaurants the world can offer, but it’s just a job. You go back to your two-up two-down home and life carries on. Your environment might change but you remember you are still a police officer, employed by the Met Police.”

Queen Elizabeth II maintained a regular meal routine, starting her day with tea, cereal – particularly Special K – fruit, and eggs. She typically avoided starches but didn’t refrain from alcohol, indulging in gin and wine throughout the day in moderation.

The queen also kept bowls of nuts around the palace for snacking and was very protective of them for herself. Due to unauthorized snacking, palace police officers were warned to “keep their sticky fingers out” of her nuts.

Additionally, Elizabeth enjoyed tabasco sauce, Walkers shortbread, and chocolate, items likely to be found in the palace when she was in residence.

Before the Norman Conquest, the village was owned by Edward the Confessor, and Henry VIII reclaimed it for the Crown in 1531. During the early 1600s, when James I was on the throne, he intended to plant a mulberry garden for rearing silkworms. However, he used the wrong variety and had to abandon his grand idea.

John Sheffield became the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, and he built Buckingham House as a place to stay during his visits to London. It underwent a significant transformation into a palace in 1820 by architect John Nash – who was subsequently fired for exceeding his budget!

George III paid £21,000 (£3m now) to purchase it for his wife Queen Charlotte, where she gave birth to all but one of their 15 children. However, it was Queen Victoria who was the first monarch to designate it as her official residence when she moved there after her coronation in 1837.

Known to the press as ‘the boy Jones’, teenager Edward Jones was caught in the palace three times during her reign – but probably sneaked in more often than that. He stole food and pieces of her underwear, and claimed to have sat on the throne. The government eventually apprehended him and sent him to Brazil. After he escaped and returned, they imprisoned him on a ship for six years before deporting him to Australia. He worked there as a town crier before his death on Boxing Day 1893.

Over 800 members of staff live there, including a flagman, fendersmith, and clockmaker. The latter must keep busy, as the palace contains 350 clocks and watches! They’re wound up every week by two horological conservators, who work full-time to keep them ticking along.

At 36.6m long, 18m wide, and 13.5m high, it’s the largest room. The first event held there was a celebration marking the end of the Crimean War in 1856. But it’s not just ballrooms and banquet halls; there’s also a post office, police station, doctor’s surgery, cinema, and pool.

Months before his coronation in 1902, Edward VII contracted peritonitis, a dangerous stomach infection. A room overlooking the garden was quickly adapted for surgery, which fortunately was successful.

During World War II, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth adamantly refused to leave the palace, which made it an appealing target. The buildings and grounds endured nine direct hits during the raids. The Queen Mother described one bomb as causing ‘a tremendous explosion’, but she cheerfully added that ‘everybody remained wonderfully calm’.

Buckingham Palace features 775 rooms. These include 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, and 19 state rooms.

There are a staggering 760 windows and 1,514 doors at Buckingham Palace.

Over 40,000 lightbulbs fill the entire palace. The ballroom bears the distinction of being the first room to have electricity, installed in 1883.

Over 50,000 guests are invited to the palace each year. They are entertained at receptions, garden parties, and banquets.

In 1937, Princess Elizabeth joined the 1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company, along with other Royal children and the daughters of the staff. Despite being heir to the throne, she didn’t secure a leading role – she was the second in command of her patrol! When World War II broke out in 1939, they suspended activities, but the Company reformed at Windsor in 1942.

As if a palace isn’t exciting enough, there are underground passageways connecting the building to nearby streets. Unsurprisingly, the Queen Mother and King George VI couldn’t resist exploring them. During one of their excursions, they reportedly encountered a very polite man from Newcastle who was living down there.

Just look at the flag! The palace flies the Union Flag when the Queen is not in residence, and the Royal Standard when she is. You might also spot the latter fluttering from Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, signifying the Queen’s presence in Parliament.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony, also known as Guard Mounting, happens just outside Buckingham Palace at 10:45 and typically lasts around 45 minutes. The actual exchange of guards takes place at 11 a.m.

Despite being the official residence for British monarchs, Queen Elizabeth II actually preferred staying at Windsor Castle, which is about 20 miles away, and viewed Buckingham Palace as her office.

Even with the rise of mass media, notifications regarding Royal births and deaths are still displayed outside Buckingham Palace to keep the public informed!