The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

The Palace's 39-acre garden is an oasis for wildlife, and visitors can enjoy a garden walk that offers superb views of the Garden Front of the Palace and the 19th-century lake.


Audio Guide
An audio guide is included in the ticket price and is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, Russian and Mandarin.

There is also a family audio guide (in English only) and accompanying activity trail, suitable for children 7-11 years.

Changing of the Guard
The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at 11:30 daily from April until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting.

The new guards arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the soldiers are accompanied by a band. The ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete.

The Army have not yet released the schedule for July, August or September.

Opening Hours
Admission is by timed ticket with entry at 10:30, 11:45 & 15:15 every day.  Tickets are valid only on the date and at the entrance time specified on the ticket.  Regretably, late-comers cannot be admitted.

A visit lasts between 2 and 2½ hours.

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation.

French Porcelain for English Palaces: Sèvres from the Royal Collection
23 May – 11 October 2009

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation.

 

02 May – 11 October 2009

 

This fascinating exhibition has been brought together from royal residences across the UK.  Highlights include world-famous paintings by Rembrandt, Canaletto and Winterhalter, spectacular jewels, dazzling works by Fabergé, as well as furniture, sculpture, arms and armour, and historic pieces of porcelain that are still used for ceremonial occasions today. 

French Porcelain for English Palaces: Sèvres from the Royal Collection
23 May – 11 October 2009

 

This exhibition brings together around 300 pieces created by the pre-eminent European porcelain factory of the 18th century.  The finely painted and gilded works by Sèvres were loved by royalty, aristocrats, connoisseurs and collectors.  The factory’s unrivalled techniques and revolutionary methods of production appealed to their liking for the rare, exotic and extravagant.  The Royal Collection contains the world’s finest group of Sèvres, much of it acquired between 1783 and 1830 by George IV, who popularised the taste for French porcelain in Britain.

 

The Conversation Piece: Scenes of Fashionable Life
30 October 2009 – 14 February 2010

 

This exhibition will explore the tradition of the ‘Conversation Piece’, group portraits of high-society sitters in strikingly informal situations.  With its roots in 17th-century Dutch painting, the genre is best known through the work of the English artists, William Hogarth and George Stubbs in the 18th century and Sir Edwin Landseer in the 19th century.  The greatest exponent of the Conversation Piece was Johan Zoffany; the exhibition will include a remarkable series of works produced by the artist for his royal patron George III.  The Conversation Piece depicts sitters going about their daily lives and thus provides a fascinating insight into the fashions, interiors and manners of the age.

 

Opening Hours:
Open daily
10:00-17:30 (last admission 16:30)
09:30-17:30 (last admission 16:30), 1 Aug - 27 Sept 2009
10:00-14:00 (last admission 13:00), 4 March 2009

Closed:
10 April 2009
27 April - 1 May 2009
13-15 October 2009
25-26 December 2009

Audio guide is included in the admission price and is available in the following languages:

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian

One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique insight into the department of the Royal Household that provides transport by road for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family. 

 

What there is to see:

The Royal Mews houses the State vehicles, both horse-drawn carriages and motor cars, used for coronations, State Visits, royal weddings, the State Opening of Parliament and official engagements. 

 

Visitors can see the Gold State Coach which was last used during The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 to carry Her Majesty and Prince Philip to the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.  

 

For most of the year the stables are home to the working horses that play an important role in The Queen's official and ceremonial duties.  They are mainly Cleveland Bays, the only British breed of carriage horse, and the Windsor greys, which by tradition always draw the carriage in which The Queen is travelling.

 

As they may be on duty, undergoing training or having a well-deserved rest away from London, the horses are not always on view.

Audio guide is included in the admission price and is available in the following languages:

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian

 

Guided tours in English are available at intervals throughout the day.

Guidebooks are available in English.

Opening Hours:
28 Mar – 02 Aug (Open daily, except Fridays)
11:00 - 16:00 (last admission 15:15)

03 Aug – 27 Sep (Open daily)
10:00 - 17:00 (last admission 16:15)

28 Sep – 31 Oct (Open daily, except Fridays)
11:00 - 16:00 (last admission 15:15)

Closed:
10 April
and during State Visits