Buckingham Palace is one of the world’s most famous buildings and  a very popular London attraction.B  It is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing.

 

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for theDuke of Buckingham in 1705 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.

 

It was subsequently acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House". During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard.

 

Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside. However, the palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.