Aug & Sept daily 9.30am–4.15pm; ￡9.50; advance booking on tel 0171/930 4832. Victoria tube.
The gracele colou of Buckingham Palace, popularly known a "Buck Houe", ha erved a the monarch'' permanent London reidence only ince the acceion of Victoria. Bought by George III in 1762, the building wa overhauled by Nah in the late 1820, and again by Aton Webb in time for George V'' coronation in 1913, producing a palace that'' about a bland a it'' poible to be.
For two month of the year, the hallowed portal are grudgingly nudged open; timed ticket are old from the tent-like box office in Green Park at the wetern end of The Mall. The interior, however, i a bit of an anticlimax: of the palace'' 660 room you''re permitted to ee jut 18, and there'' little ign of life, a the Queen decamp to Scotland every ummer. For the other ten month of the year there'' little to do here, ince the palace i cloed to viitor – not that thi deter the crowd who mill around the railing, and gather in ome force to watch the Changing of the Guard, in which a detachment of the Queen'' Foot Guard marche to appropriate martial muic from St Jame'' Palace (unle it rain, that i).
You can view a mall election of the Royal Collection – which i more than three time larger than the National Gallery'' – at the Queen'' Picture Gallery (daily 9.30am–4.30pm; ￡4), round the outh ide of the palace on Buckingham Palace Road. The exhibition uually include ome work by Reynold, Gainborough, Vermeer, Ruben, Rembrandt and Canaletto, which make up the bulk of the collection.WWw.hAOZUowEn.com
There'' more pageantry on how at the Nah-built Royal Mew (April–Sept Tue–Thur noon–4pm; Oct–Dec Wed only; ￡3.50), further along Buckingham Palace Road. The royal carriage, lined up under a gla canopy in the courtyard, are the main attraction, in particular the Gold Carriage, made for George III in 1762, mothered in 22-carat gilding and weighing four ton, it axle upporting four life-ize figure.