Sunday morning and we were off to Buckingham Palace. Our ticket allowed entry into the Queen’s Gallery, the Royal Mews and the State Rooms. We headed to the Queen’s Gallery first and looked through the ‘Victoria and Albert: in love’ exhibition with furniture, paintings and jewellery commissioned by and for Victoria and Albert.
After cruising through the exhibit it was time for the changing of the guard. We headed out to the front of the Palace to join the thousands of other tourists lining the streets watching the parade. The view from the street wasn’t that great because of the crowds so I climbed a nearby wall to get a better view of the parade ground. There was a couple from California sitting next to me who asked me to take some photos for them because they weren’t game enough to stand up!
The Queen’s Guard Band performed songs from Singin’ in the Rain, Avenue Q, Pirates of the Caribbean and a couple of jazz standards. I obviously chose the right day to go!
When the parade had finished we headed into the Palace to view the state rooms. The place is amazing! An audio guide was provided to explain the renovations that have taken place at the Palace over the years and which wings serve which purpose. They have timed the audio guide perfectly: as you are walking up the grand staircase the Coronation Anthem by Handel (Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet) starts playing in your ears. Very impressive!
The state rooms are stunning, as is the exhibition on the ‘Queen’s Year’ currently on display. Unfortunately photos aren’t allowed to be taken inside…and I didn’t want to risk being thrown in jail for illegal photos.
After the Palace it was time to check out the Royal Mews. This is where all the royal coaches and cars are kept. The main attraction was the Coronation Coach which has been used for every royal coronation since 1782. Also on display is the Australian Coach, the most recent coach to be made for the Queen and the most comfortable as it comes with power windows and air-conditioning running off of its own generator. We do things well!
By now it was getting late in the day so we headed off to our respective hotels/hostels (I went back to Westminster Bridge to get some photos in the daylight).
The River Thames Festival celebrates the end of summer and was running on Saturday and Sunday so we really chose the perfect weekend to be in the city. On Sunday night we went to the River Thames and watched a big carnival/parade which finished off the festival. There were some interesting costumes.
Then it became a hunt to find somewhere open for dinner that was still serving food that late. Eventually we found a pub right at the end of Waterloo Bridge and next door to the Lyceum Theatre where Lion King is being held.
Most important discovery of the day: the carpets at Harrods are thicker than the carpets at Buckingham Palace. UNBELIEVEABLE!
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| The REAL changing of the guard |
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| The crowds trying to see! |
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| A slightly better view away from the crowds |
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| These guys must have been running late because all the other guards were outside the Palace |
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| Me at the back door to Buckingham Palace This is where the tour ends |
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| The backyard of Buckingham Palace |
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| The Australian Coach |
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| The coronation coach 4tns of gold and iron! |
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| Westminster during the day |
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| The River Thames Carnival |
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| Some Romans romin' |
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| A pirate ship |
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