NEN Gallery

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Originally known as Buckingham House, the Palace is a setting for state occasions and official visits of Heads of State hosted in the\state rooms. In the Middle Ages the site formed part of the Manor of Ebury. It had several royal owners from the time of Edward the Confessor. In the 18th century Buckingham House, the building which formed the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired by King George III in 1762 as a private residence. Over the next 75 years, it was enlarged principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore. It became the official palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Further structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the east front refaced in Portland stone in 1913. Buckingham Palace is one of the world's most familiar buildings. Photograph taken 12th April 2008.