Fit For A Queen

Buckingham Palace is an icon of British culture; it is one of the most important tourist attractions in all of London. It was established in 1837 and showcased that England was a world power through its luxurious architecture and decadent surroundings. Buckingham Palace is the official home of the Queen of England and is surrounded by the infamous foot guards spaced evenly along the perimeter.

This was definitely one of the highlights of London for me because there is so much to see, from the time you walk up you can see the gold enveloping the whole courtyard and clearly see that this is the place of a monarch. The courtyard is separated into different territories, there are both public and private domains, and the boundaries are crystal clear. Surrounding Buckingham Palace there is a massive fence that encloses the actual palace, and lets tourists only come within about 300 feet of the actual building, but not to worry the palace is so extensive that you really need to stand back from it to take it all in at once!

Directly in front of the palace there is an enormous fountain created to be a memorial for Queen Victoria, who was the first queen to live in the palace. This fountain is a very popular public space and the perfect backdrop for a photo. This fountain was filled with various coins from all over the world where people had tossed them into the water in hopes of having their wish come true. So of course, I tossed my 1 pence piece into the water and made a wish, I wish I had still had some American coins to toss in, but I had them all converted over to pounds before we hopped on the Eurostar to London.

Buckingham Palace was spectacular in itself, but the parks that surrounded it were so beautiful and fun! There were two parks adjacent to the palace, St. James Park, and Green Park. St. James Park was special because it showcased a sense of patriotism that I had not witnessed elsewhere. There was an entire street that was lined with English Flags, and the street was packed with pedestrians and taxis competing for a perfect view of the picturesque park. Green Park was seemed to be a much more open park that attracted more locals. There were lots of people running and walking dogs all around Green Park which suggested that the population at this particular park was much more of a mix between people who lived near Piccadilly Circus and tourists who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the life as a Londoner. Scattered throughout Green Park were tons of painted elephants that were put there to promote awareness of the endangered Asian elephants. The Queen endorsed this “Elephant Parade” and she wanted them to be spread about Central London to show that London is focused on helping sustain some of the world’s most precious creatures. These were really fun to see and it was exciting to see such a huge cluster of them in Green Park so close to Buckingham Palace.

All in all, Buckingham Palace and the surrounding parks were so different from anything you could see in America. The history, politics, and culture that are embodied in these areas are extraordinary. The Royal Family has a diminished role in politics compared to what there role once was, but the people of Britain hold this monarchy so close to their hearts that they have decided to keep them as a symbol for their country and support them through their taxes that they pay. I had been to Buckingham Palace before, but this time I knew more of the background and I was able to appreciate it so much more!