Buckingham Palace A Top Tourist Attraction In London

England is wonderful and exciting nation in which to take a vacation. There are a great many tourist attraction well worth visiting perfectly suited for all tastes. For example the historical city of York which is known to have been inhabited since Roman times, Liverpool (European City of Culture 2008), and Torquay (often called the English Riviera). One place to spend some time in, and that shouldn't be missed, is London the capital city of the UK

London is an astounding destination to visit, maybe for just a weekend or, hopefully for longer. You may be surprised at how many people who live in the United Kingdom of Britain who have never visited London, even more surprising when you are mindful of the fact it is most often top of most visitors lists (of the most enjoyable places they went to).

There are a multitude of things to see and do in London that it is not possible to list them all at the same time. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace is England's most widely known Royal residence, being home to Queen Elizabeth. Buckingham Palace is positioned in the heart of London which makes it a natural focus for tourists. The daily pageant of 'Changing of the Guard' is exhilarating to witness and typically English.

Buckingham Palace was originally called Buckingham House. It was originally a large townhouse, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse that forms the main core of the palace as we are familiar with today.

Over the subsequent three quarters of a century Buckingham House was extended by the building of three wings around a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these additions were Edward Blore and John Nash. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.

The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the construction of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which he re-designed in 1912. Webb together with Sir Thomas Brock, the sculptor, were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial can still be today.

The Queen has many other royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Annually the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas period. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.

Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, situated in Royal Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The Queen was staying in Balmoral Castle when she was informed of the sad demise of Diana.

If you would like to take a break in England then you might be pleased to discover that it is possible to find a cheap London hotel without any great effort, on the other hand you may want to reside in more luxurious surroundings and the fine selection of boutique hotels in London should be more than satisfactory.