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Take a tour of Queen Elizabeth II’s back garden, with visitors allowed to explore the exteriors of Buckingham Palace unguided for the first time ever
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 08 Apr 2021
Buckingham Palace boasts the largest private garden in London Credit: Royal Collection Trust
The public is being offered a rare opportunity within the grounds of Buckingham Palace, with visitors soon to be offered the chance to explore its gardens unguided for the first time ever.
Every summer, the palace holds an opening of its state rooms. Normally attracting thousands, the event has been cancelled for the second year in a row as a result of the pandemic.
Instead, visitors are being offered garden visits to Buckingham Palace between July and September, with guests able to freely explore the Queen’s private 39-acre grounds for the first time. They will also be allowed to picnic on the palace’s lawns, however barbeques, ball games and alcohol are forbidden.
The grounds were originally landscaped in the 1700s by English architect Capability Brown, with the current landscape dating back to the 1820s when George IV turned Buckingham House into what is now Buckingham Palace.
Available through the Royal Collection Trust, tickets for guided tours and picnics in the grounds have been priced at £60 per adult and £33 per child.
"The traditional opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will not take place this year,” said a Royal Collection Trust spokesperson.
"We anticipate that social distancing will still be in place this summer and that visitor numbers to London will be low for some time yet due to the uncertainty around domestic and international travel.
"The costs incurred opening the palace to the public in the usual way would be far greater than the visitor admissions and retail income that we could expect.
"However, we are delighted to offer unique access to the Buckingham Palace garden this year as an alternative.”
Heritage
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