Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis and Prince William on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the May 6, 2023 coronation day.Photo: Leon Neal/Getty
King Charlesis inviting you in for a new view ofBuckingham Palace!
On April 4, the royal family’s social media pages posted a video about the reopening of the East Wing amid the royal residence’s10-year restoration, including the Centre Room leading out onto the royal residence’s iconic balcony. Highlights included the royal family’s two major appearances on the terrace last year, from King Charles andQueen Camilla’s coronation in May 2023 andTrooping the Colour, the annual public celebration of the monarch’s birthday, the following month.
Theclip shared on Xpanned into the ornate Centre Room as a voiceover explained the reopening follows five years of refurbishment.
“While all this incredible work is being carried out, the working palace continues to operate as usual throughout for guests, staff and the royal family,” they said.
“As it enters its final three years, this ambitious program carries on with more work to be done to protect the historic building from risk of fire or flood, and to ensure it is fit for purpose for generations to come,” the voiceover concluded, cutting to a shot ofPrince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louisanimatedly waving as they stood before their parents,Prince WilliamandKate Middleton, on the balcony during Trooping the Colour last year.
The new peek into the palace came the day after the Royal Collection Trustannouncedthat the East Wing of Buckingham Palace will open to the publicfor the first time everthrough tours this summer.
The East Wing includes the front façade and balcony synonymous with royal celebrations like coronations and weddings since 1851, and tours of its Principal Floor will take viewers into the Principal Corridor, Yellow Drawing Room and Centre Room. The East Wing Highlights tours kick off July 15 and will be held daily through August, accessible through standard admission to the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace ($95 for adults) for an undisclosed extra charge.
King Charles and Queen Camilla wave alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton with their kids on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour 2023.Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
The new access at Buckingham Palace comes on the heels of the update thatBalmoral Castlein Scotland is opening to the public for the first ever. While the royals previously permitted tours at their cherished summer sanctuary in Aberdeenshire, access was limited to the grounds, gardens and castle ballroom. During a limited run from July to August, tourists are invited inside for the first time — and royal watchers couldn’t resist! According toSky News, both the general castle tours and tours with tea sold out 24 hours after the access went live.
An exterior view of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty
Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty
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Royal biographer Robert Hardman speculated in his latest bookThe Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchythat King Charles would grant greater access to Balmoral as he modernizes the monarchy.
“Balmoral is private property. However, it needs public footfall not just to help pay the bills but to bring benefits to the wider community and to remain in step with other stately homes,” he wrote in the text, published in January.
source: people.com
