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10 Downing Street
This most famous address is the residence and offices of the Prime Minister. For security reasons visitors can no longer walk up to the famous front door, but grand limousines constantly pass through the gates carrying heads of state, members of the Cabinet and the Prime Minister himself. The house is built of yellow brick, blackened by years of city smoke, and has over 200 rooms, including the famous White Drawing Room. In 1991 a terrorist bomb was fired into the gardens and exploded right outside the window where John Major and his cabinet were meeting, but fortunately no-one was injured.
Bank Of England
Dominating the end of Gresham Street is the classical building of the Bank of England. The bank still prints and mints all British money, administers the national debt and protects the country’s gold reserves. The Bank of England Museum has reconstructions of former times and records many interesting facts about the last 400 years of the Bank of England’s role in national life.
Buckingham Palace
Built in 1703, this is the main residence of Her Majesty the Queen. See the Ceremonial Changing of the Guards each day at 11.30am. It is a colorful, formal ceremony led by the Corps of Drums. The guards wear scarlet jackets and black ‘bearskin’ hats which are 18 inches tall and weigh a massive 1½ pounds. When the Queen is in residence, the red and yellow royal standard can be seen flying on the roof.
The Palace is open for tours when the Queen is away in August and September each year. The state rooms include the throne room, picture gallery and state ballroom and are quite magnificent. Opulent gilt décor, glittering chandeliers, antique furniture and priceless artworks are quite breathtaking. The gardens cover 42 acres and are used for summer garden parties.
Fulham Palace and Gardens
Once the country home of the Bishops of the Church of England, this magnificent building now houses a free museum of paintings, stained glass and even the bishop’s cope. The Palace Gardens cover 12 acres and have the longest moat in England, which once surrounded the Palace. The first American azalea and the first coffee tree were introduced and nurtured here in the 17th century. Both the house and gardens have free admission.
Hampton Court
This enormous Palace with its beautiful 750-acre formal gardens was built by Thomas Wolsey as the most lavish Palace in England. King Henry VIII ‘persuaded’ Wolsey to give it to him. Guides in Tudor costume give excellent tours. The medieval Great Hall is decorated with swords and armour. The indoor tennis court, Chapel Royal and Tudor kitchens are all fascinating.
Houses of Parliament
Known as the Palace of Westminster, this lovely building stands on the banks of the River Thames. It was built in 1860 after fire destroyed the older building. It is lavishly decorated on the inside but for security reasons tours are not permitted.
Kensington Palace
This opulent Palace has many state apartments and was for a time the home to Diana Princess of Wales. The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection displays costumes and uniforms of kings, queens and courtiers from the 18th century to the present day. The King’s Staircase lined with a mural, Cupola room and King’s Gallery are all wonderful to see, along with the curious ‘Warming Pan Bed’.
Old Bailey
This famous Crown Court, London’s Central Criminal Court, stands on the old city walls which were known as baileys, which gave the court its name. The original courts, built on the site of Newgate Gaol, were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The magnificent ceremonial gates are only used by the Lord Mayor of London and visiting royalty. On the Dome of this wonderful building is the famous gilt statue of Lady Justice, blindfolded and holding the sword of truth in one hand and the scales of justice in the other.
Royal Opera House
Located in Covent Garden, this is the magnificent home of the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. The horseshoe shaped auditorium seats 2268 guests. The beautiful glass-domed building was once the Floral Hall for the wholesale Covent Garden Flower Market, now part of the Royal Opera House.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
The replica of the original open-air Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the River Thames stands close to where the original theatre once stood. Guided tours and hands-on exhibits explore this fascinating historical building, a replica of the original which was built in 1614. An earlier theatre burnt to the ground in 1613 when a theatrical cannon set light to the thatched roof! Shakespeare’s productions take place here during the summer months.
St James’s Palace
Wedged neatly between the grand halls of Pall Mall and the leafy Green Park is St James’s Palace. Used as a royal residence until the 19th century, it is surrounded by several other royal mansions which are worth seeing. The Palace is now occupied by the Princess Royal and royal servants.
Tower of London
Dating back to the 11th century, this walled compound has several interesting buildings. Red coated ‘Beefeaters’ act as guides to the White Tower, the Bloody Tower, the Bowyer Tower and Wakefield Tower which still has instruments of torture. Most visited is the Jewel House, home to the priceless crown jewels which contain 23,578 precious gems and the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond in the Imperial State Crown.
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