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The East Wing of Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public for the first time.
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The East Wing, which has been renovated over many years, includes the famous Royal Balcony and the Centre Room.
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Visitors can see more than 3,500 pieces, but they will not be able to climb onto the balcony itself.
At every major state occasion in the United Kingdom, senior members of the British royal family line up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to the crowd.
This is where Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana shared their first public kiss after their wedding, and where the “Fabulous Four” waved to crowds years later before the rift between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and his family emerged.
But until now this part of the building has never been open to the public.
From July 11 to September 29, visitors to the palace will be able to pay about $95 for a guided tour of Buckingham Palace’s East Wing, which has just emerged from a lengthy renovation.
Tickets sold out within hours of being announced in April, Sky News reportedThe palace is currently studying the possibility of repeating this experiment next year.
The east wing covers the main facade of the building and includes the centre room which offers a view of the terrace.
It was built in 1847, commissioned by Queen Victoria to accommodate her growing family, and to enclose what had been a horseshoe-shaped courtyard.
The balcony itself was the idea of Prince Albert, the Queen’s husband, in order to “communicate with the people,” Caroline de Guiteau, the palace surveyor, He told the Guardian newspaper:.
But you won’t be able to give him a royal salute yourself, According to the BBC.
This may be for safety reasons, he suggested – the balcony railing is below waist level.
The newspaper reported that the place was also surprisingly narrow.
Even King Charles seems to have been concerned about a coup during his coronation, The Mirror reported in 2023citing a lip reader who said he talked about not standing too close to the edge.
But even Harry and Meghan can’t appear there now that the late Queen has decided the place is for working royals only.
You may not be able to get to the ultimate selfie spot, but you can still see a lot.
Visitors to the East Wing can view more than 3,500 pieces of art, and the central room features a giant lotus-shaped glass chandelier that once hung above the heads of many members of the royal family.
Many of the exhibits are Chinese in nature, reflecting King George IV’s love of the country’s art and design.
These include a recently restored hand-painted wallpaper dating back to the 18th century in the room where Queen Elizabeth II sat in many of her portraits, according to The Guardian.
The cost of renovating the East Wing was $475 million, Which led to questions being raised in the British Parliament. When it was first announced in 2016.
Ultimately, the project was paid for by a huge increase in the Sovereign Grant, the money given to working members of the royal family to fulfil their public duties.
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