More on Buckingham Palace

Thinking back, I forgot to write about inside the palace itself! Part of this forgetfulness was the fact I have no photos of this experience because photography was prohibited… like most things you would want to snap! Oh well. It just meant I bought a 10 postcard pack instead…

We walked through what are called THE STATE ROOMS. I remember seeing the Crown Jewels, a display of the queen’s dresses worn from the time she became queen to now, and sat in the seats in the coronation room… The postcards state 10 of the State Rooms we walked through. These were: The Green Drawing Room, The White Drawing Room, The Blue Drawing Room, Throne Room, The Garden Front, The Grand Staircase, The State Dining Room, The Picture Gallery, The Music Room, and the East Front of Buckingham Palace from St. James’s Park.

These names don’t sound very spectacular, do they! But they were definitely an experience! I don’t know anybody else who can say, “I’ve walked the Grand Staircase of Buckingham Palace”! haha! Well I HAVE! It is quite a spectacular experience. What I remember most about the Crown Jewels was that we stepped on to an escalator.

There were 2 escalators going past the display cabinets holding the crown jewels. Unfortunately the escalators didn’t go slow enough to give us a good look, but we DID get to see a lot. The security was understandably high. I have never seen so much gold, silver and jewels in the one room before! There were not only the various crowns worn by Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, and others in the royal family, and Queen Elizabeth’s selection of jewelry. There were also china tea sets and if my memory serves me correctly, even swords and other weapons that contained jewels. It was your typical experience of pewter glasses, dinnerware, necklaces, knives etc… just imagine how much money we could get for all of those things!

The Drawing Rooms were basically large entertaining rooms with antique armchairs and chandeliers. The ceilings were high and decorated with the different queens’ initials in the detail. Queen Victoria had quite an influence! Her initials are just about everywhere, and the stories about the furniture and designs of the rooms mostly lead back to her! Each room has its own detail. The ceilings are different as well as the carpets and furniture. Some rooms have fireplaces, some have sideboards and fancy tables. The name of the room reflects the colour of the furniture and décor (eg, Green Drawing Room has green furniture). And of course, the rooms are spotlessly clean!

My favourite part was probably the Display of the Queen’s Dresses. We walked into a room, and dresses were displayed not only around the walls, but in round sections between the walls. It was a bit crazy trying to see through all the people looking, but I managed to see enough. I found it interesting to see how the Queen’s dress styles changed with her age and changing figure. One thing Margaret and others pointed out… “Red was not her best colour”. There was ONE deep red velvet strapless dress worn when she was very young. It was a simple, but extravagant looking dress that many wouldn’t be able to get away with. But it seems this was the only colour only worn once. The commentary stated that the Queen’s complexion made it easy for her to wear nearly any colour and make it look good.

It was interesting to note that when she was young, she often wore sleeveless dresses/gowns or thin straps. She looked stunning in the pictures. As she became older, her sleeves became longer. It was a gradual change, but we could see how she changed from the elegant straps to the mature sleeves. The dresses really told a story of a stylish woman and how her styles altered as she matured.

The dresses were displayed by colours. There was a blue section, yellow, green, pink, white etc. There was also a section of dresses made exclusively for her visits to particular countries. Some of these were designed either similar to the traditional style of the country, or with elements or patterns relating to the country. She went to so much effort to “look the part” as well as being respectful. Of course, she employed designers to create these outfits.

I couldn’t believe how many jewels, beads, laces and sequins were on these dresses! Some were evening gowns, others less formal. Enlarged photos of the queen wearing certain dresses were displayed behind them. She was quite a beauty in the early days! I enjoyed looking at the photos and seeing inner beauty in those eyes. You don’t see that every day in famous people! There was a real kindness and elegance in her eyes.

I can’t remember the name, but I think it was the Coronation Room – or at least where coronations occur… we were able to sit in the seats and watch a video of some coronations that have occurred in the room. It was interesting being in the same room that is often relayed on tv around the world. I can tell you one thing…the seats were not very comfortable ;) The rooms look a lot larger on tv! They are about half as large as I had imagined.

The only part of the palace tour that was missing was the queen herself. Rumours were that she was in Germany or some other country, but the flag was up, apparently saying she was home. I never quite figured it out. They said the queen usually opens up the palace to the public only in summer. I’m glad I was able to walk through the palace. It was a worthwhile, interesting and educational experience! I also didn’t realise how close to the city the palace was! It is literally in the middle of the city!

This tour gave me a new respect for this woman who seems to hold firm to her beliefs, despite the choices of her family. As a young woman, she was elegant and graceful. Her eyes revealed a deep respect and sense of values. She still maintains the “old fashioned zeal” that many people will never understand. The old fashioned values that many despise, yet without these I don’t believe she would be as elegant. It’s a bit scary to think about her inevitable successor in the not so distant future. Her death will likely see the death of the old fashioned elegance that not only she, but her mother holds/held.