白金汉宫(BuckinghamPalace)

　　BuckinghamPalaceistheofficialLondonresidenceofthesovereign,andwasfirstopenedtothepublicin1993.

　　EntrytoBuckinghamPalaceisviaAmbassador'sCourtonBuckinghamPalaceRoad.TheGrandHallisontheoriginalsiteoftheoldentrancehall,dominatedbytheGrandstaircaseaptlynamed,becauseofitswindingproportionsandfloralgilt-bronzebalustrade.

　　AsyouwalkthroughtheGuardRoomnotetheGobelintapestriesliningthewalls.ThevibrantlycolouredsilkwallsintheGreenDrawingRoomprovidetheperfectcomplimenttothebeautifullycovedandguildedceiling.ThisisthesiteofQueenCharlotte'ssalon.InthesplendidscarletandgoldThroneRoomyoucanseethechairsusedatthecoronationofHerMajestyTheQueenin1953.ThemagnificentBallroomextendingto122feetinlengthwasopenedinQueenVictoria'sreignin1856tocelebratetheendoftheCrimeanwar.

　　InthepicturegallerydesignedbyNasharewonderfularttreasuresbyRubens,Rembrandt,Canaletto,Vermeer,andmanyothers.ThisisaselectionfromtheRoyalCollectionheldintrustbytheQueenforhersuccessorsandthenationandisregardedasBritain'sNationalHeritage.IntheStateDiningRoomtheredsilkdamaskonthewallsmakesafittingbackgroundtothestateportraitsofKingsandQueensfromGeorgeIIItoGeorgeIV.TheregencydiningchairswerepurchasedbythePrinceRegentin1813forhishomeatCarltonHouse.

　　AsyoupassthroughtheBlueDrawingRoom,anotherofNash'sstunningrooms,notethethirtyfakeonyxcolumnsandtheSevresporcelaintablewhichwasmadeforNapoleon.FromthesemicircularbowwindowofthedomedMusicRoomyouwillhaveagoodviewofthegardenandgrounds.TheArchbishopofCanterburyhaschristenedfourroyalbabiesinthisroom.PerhapsmostmagnificentofallistheWhiteDrawingRoom,furnishedwithFrenchantiquesandEnglishcutglasschandelierssuspendedfromthebeautifulceiling,thedelicatecoloursofthefurnishingsstandingoutagainstthegoldwalls.TheMinister'sstairsattheendofthehalllinkstheprincipalfloorofstateroomstotheMarbleHall,whichistheheartoftheoldBuckinghamHouse.CladinItalianmarbleitcontainssomefinesculpture,includingthreegroupsbyAntonioCanova.

　　TheHistoryofBuckinghamPalacebeganin1702whentheDukeofBuckinghamhaditbuiltashisLondonhome.TheDuke'ssonsoldthehousein1761toGeorgeIII,itwasrenamed换ueen'sHouse?in1774asQueenCharlotteresidedthere.WhenitpassedtoGeorgeIVin1820,Nashwascommissionedtomakealterationstothepalace.Themainblockwasretainedbutanewsuiteofroomswasaddedfacingwestintothegarden,doublingthesizeofthebuilding.TheFrenchNeoClassicalstylewastheinfluenceforthedesign.There-modelledstateroomsremainunchangedfromNash'soriginaldesign.

　　QueenVictoriawasthefirstmonarchtotakeupresidenceinBuckinghamPalacein1837.Onceagainextensivechangestookplace,oneofthesewastohavethehugearchedgatewayremovedtoTyburn,whereitremains,knownasMarbleArch.

　　TodayBuckinghamPalaceisusednotonlyasthehomeofTheQueenandTheDukeofEdinburgh,butalsofortheadministrativeworkforthemonarchy.ItishereinthestateapartmentsthatHerMajestyreceivesandentertainsguestsinvitedtothePalace.

　　Duringthesummer,theChangingoftheGuardtakesplaceatthefrontofthePalace.