Taking visitors on a unique journey of the illustrious Buckingham Palace, the east wing, also known as the main facade of the palace, has opened its doors to the public after a five-year renovation. Although the tourists will not be allowed to step out on to the balcony just yet, this trial run will give them the opportunity to see the palace from the perspective of the King and Queen, Prince William and Catherine, for the first time. Notably, this will also allow visitors to see the crowds of tourists below, offering them an unusual change of perspective.
The new tour, which comes at a cost of £75, has already sold out for this year. In this exclusive tour, none of the items on show is roped off from visitors, making it feel more like a living building than a museum. However, the gradual gift-shopification of the palace is hard to ignore. In addition, the railings of the balcony are below waist height and are quite narrow, making it unsuitable for standing. Furthermore, the entire tour, which covers only a small part of the wing, will take place in guided groups of 20.
To reach the balcony, the royals usually go through the Centre Room, which is intricately decorated in a Chinese style. Chinese and oriental art enthusiasts will be pleased to know that this is through their fascination with Brighton Pavilion, which funded the building of the east wing of the Buckingham Palace. They sold the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, a fusion of Asian styles and racy regency fashions, and took the furniture and art and put it into Buckingham Palace, including the fixtures and fittings, such as doors, gilded curtain poles, fireplace, and ornamental porcelain pagodas.
While the palace complex is undergoing a £369m project to renovate not just the gilded surfaces but also the basics of the plumbing and wiring, it still holds the title of one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. With plenty of royal bling on show in its long corridors, it’s the sense of seeing behind the scenes in the palace that will interest people. Visitors to the palace will also be able to see the Yellow Drawing Room, used for many audiences and the setting of a Christmas broadcast by the late Queen Elizabeth II
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