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Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace

Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
attraction tickets
Buckingham Palace
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Buckingham Palace
London  SW1W 0EJ
United Kingdom
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For use from
Tue, 29th July 2008
For use to
Mon, 29th September 2008
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This item is supplied by Seatem Group and is subject to their terms & conditions. Terms & Conditions
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Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and serves as both home and office.

Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on state, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.

Find out more about the history of Buckingham Palace and how it is used today on the British Monarchy Website.

What There Is To See

The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sevres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

The Palace's 39-acre garden is an oasis for wildlife, and visitors can enjoy a garden walk that offers superb views of the Garden Front of the Palace and the 19th-century lake.

A State Banquet

A special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace
29th July - 29th September 2008

For the first time ever and for this summer only, visitors to Buckingham Palace will experience the spectacle of the Ballroom set up for a State Banquet. Held in honour of a visiting Head of State, the State Banquet is the occasion when The Queen entertains around 170 guests on the first evening of a State Visit. During Her Majesty’s reign, 77 State Banquets have been held at Buckingham Palace, 17 at Windsor Castle and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The State Banquet at Windsor for the President of the French Republic and Madame Nicolas Sarkozy on 26 March will be the 96th hosted by The Queen since her accession in 1952.

At this year’s Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, the horseshoe-shaped table traditionally used at State Banquets will be set with dazzling silver-gilt from the Grand Service and adorned with magnificent flower arrangements. Lavish displays of tureens, dishes, ornamental cups and fine English and Continental porcelain will flank the table. Film footage will show the behind-the-scenes work of Royal Household staff, including chefs, footmen, pages, florists and housemaids, who ensure the highest standards of presentation and delivery.

Sumptuous banquets have always been an integral part of royal ceremonies and the traditional way to mark significant occasions, although the style of dining has changed considerably over the last two centuries. In the field of entertaining, as in so many others, no monarch has rivalled George IV. In 1811, when he became Prince Regent, he famously gave a supper for 3,000 people at his private residence, Carlton House. The single dining table, which extended the entire length of the building, incorporated a stream with live goldfish. Water issued from a fountain at the head of the table and fell through a succession of cascades into a circular lake surrounded by architectural features. While the displays and menus for State Banquets are now considerably more restrained – guests are typically served one choice for each of the four courses – George IV’s spectacular gilt tableware is still used.

The form of today’s State Banquet largely dates from the reign of Queen Victoria, who introduced the ceremony of the royal procession before the meal. Guests are first received by The Queen and the visiting Head of State in the Palace’s Music Room and proceed to the Ballroom. The royal procession, led by The Queen and the Head of State, then makes its way to the Banquet, preceded by the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord Steward. Before dinner is served, The Queen proposes the health of her guest, who replies and proposes The Queen’s health. During dinner, a programme of music is played by a military orchestra in the gallery, and at the end of the Banquet pipers process around the room. The Queen and the visiting Head of State leave through the West Gallery, and guests move to the State Dining Room and the Blue Drawing Room for coffee.

Entry to the display is included in admission to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

The State Banquet display will be accompanied by the book For The Royal Table, published by Royal Collection Publications, price £9.95 (hardback).

Notes

• During visits, all visitors and their belongings will be subject to security checks. Photography, video recording, filming, smoking and eating are not permitted inside the buildings. Mobile phones should also be switched off.
• Wheel Chair Access: All locations are accessible to wheelchair users with the exception of the garden at Buckingham Palace. Also, with Buckingham Palace State Rooms an alternative entrance is used, as there are a number of stairs along the standard visitor route. It is therefore essential for the advisor to notify the Palace in advance of the visit if any wheelchair users will be coming. Please be aware that regrettably, if such access has not been pre-arranged, we cannot guarantee admission.
• Tickets must be exchanged for timed entry tickets at the Voucher Exchange Desk at the Buckingham Palace Ticket office on Buckingham Palace Road


Travel

Nearest Tube: Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner (Victoria/ Piccadilly/ Jubilee/ Circle & District lines)

Special Conditions of Admission

Conditions of Admission to The State Rooms, The Queen's Gallery, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace; Clarence House; Windsor Castle, Frogmore House and Gardens; and The Palace of Holyroodhouse (together "The Official Residences of The Queen and The Prince of Wales")
As a Visitor to The Official Residences of The Queen and the Official Residence of The Prince of Wales ("Visitors") you are subject to these terms and conditions:

1. Admission to The Official Residences of The Queen and The Prince of Wales
1.1 You will be admitted only upon presentation, on demand, of a valid and fully paid ticket or other document entitling the holder to be admitted ("Admission") at the entrance to the Residence. An Admission will be rendered invalid by cancellation for any reason of an Admission by ourselves or by group organisers, travel agents or tour operators (from whom the Admission has been obtained).
1.2 We reserve the right in our sole and absolute discretion to refuse admission to any person and our decision shall be final and binding. We also reserve the right to suspend or cut short a particular visit if circumstances so require.
1.3 Admissions allow access only to the areas of the Residence open on the day, at the time and for the period (if any) stated on the Admission and no other rights or permissions whatsoever are conferred by the Admission. Access to other parts of the Residence is not permitted.
1.4 Where a time of visit is stated on the Admission, you will not be admitted if you arrive late unless a later admission time becomes available on that day, and then only at our absolute discretion. No refund will be made should you arrive late or after opening hours and not be admitted. If you arrive early, you will not be admitted until the time specified on the Admission.

2. Admission Restrictions and Controls
2.1 You will at all times while visiting the Residence comply with these Conditions and with any directions given by ourselves or our representatives.
2.2 You will be required to submit to, and comply with, the security checks which will be in place at the point of admission to the Residence and at such other points on the premises of the Residence as we consider appropriate. We will refuse admission if you fail to submit to or to comply with the security checks.
2.3 We welcome visitors who are wheelchair users, or have any other special access requirements. Architectural limitations mean that such visitors may need to use a specifically designated route. Our Health and Safety requirements mean that in certain Residences the number of such visitors at any one time is limited.
2.4 Parents shall be held responsible for their children. We may require that any children or any visitor whose behaviour is in any way disruptive should forthwith leave the Residence.
2.5 School parties shall not be admitted without an accompanying teacher for every 10 pupils in the party. For example, where a party comprises 26 pupils, we expect 3 teachers to accompany the party.
2.6 Children under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 17 (who must also have an Admission).
2.7 Dogs, other than guide dogs, will not be admitted to any Residence.

3. Security
3.1 For safety reasons, subject to 3.2, we may require you to deposit all baggage (including hand baggage) and (at our discretion) any other items including, but not limited to, umbrellas, pushchairs and any electrical or electronic equipment (but not including mobile telephones) brought into the Residence in the security cloakroom designated for the purpose. It is your responsibility to collect any personal possessions at the end of your visit. We will not be responsible for the safe-keeping of any item deposited in the security cloakroom or elsewhere and exclude all liability for the loss of any such item (except where such loss is due to our negligence)
3.2 You may, at our discretion, carry handbags and use pacemakers, hearing aids, powered wheelchairs and other electrical or electronic equipment needed for health reasons.
3.3 Smoking and the consumption of food and drink within the Residence is strictly prohibited.
3.4 The use of photographic, film and video equipment is strictly prohibited in the interior parts of the Residences. Non-commercial photography is permitted in the outdoor areas of all Residences. All mobile telephones must be switched off whilst within the Residence.

4. Damage caused by visitors
We may hold you liable for any damage caused by you to the Residence or any of its contents or for any injury caused to any of our representatives or others during their visit.

5. Miscellaneous
5.1 Except in respect of death, personal injury or other liability caused by our negligence or that of our employees, we exclude our liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for loss or damage suffered by you or occurring to any items belonging to you as a result of your visit.
5.2 We will not be liable for any breaches of these conditions or delays arising from any event outside our control, including (but not limited to) fire, flood, storm, strikes, riots, civil commotion, material disaster, unscheduled State Occasions, war or acts of governmental or parliamentary authority.

6. Law
6.1 These Conditions shall be construed in accordance with the laws of England in relation to Admissions to The Official Residences of The Queen and the Official Residence of The Prince of Wales, other than the Palace of Holyroodhouse and any disputes arising from these Conditions shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
6.2 Where the Admission relates to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, these Conditions shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Scotland and any disputes arising from these Conditions shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of Scotland.