Behind The Palace Gates
You’ve seen it in Hollywood blockbusters, in the Netflix smash TV show The Crown, and on hundreds of thousands of postcards and memorabilia. But how much do we really know about the iconic Buckingham Palace?
Even when you say it out loud it sounds grand, extravagant, and commanding. And very well it should! After all, it is the residence of her majesty The Queen. But despite the recognition and worldwide fame, this palace has received, for years it’s been shrouded in mystery, with reports of harrowing secrets, hidden in the floors and seeping within its walls. And now, the truth is out.
Dining In Luxury
If you’re anything like us normal folk, we often dream of eating at Buckingham Palace. Just imagine the table settings, the food, the guests! Well if you’re ever lucky enough to eat here, you can expect to dine amongst the finest of luxuries and have whatever food you could wish for, right in front of you.
But that makes us wonder, what does The Queen enjoy for breakfast, ready to kickstart her day? What treat does she sneakily take with her to bed for a midnight snack?
Her Selection Of Snacks
When you picture The Queen you can imagine her delicately nibbling on crustless cucumber sandwiches, right? Well, you’re wrong!
Supposedly, the 94-year-old is said to be a big fan of hot sauce, and always has Tabasco on hand in her pantry! Oh, and she also loves a good gin! She starts her day with a bowl of Special K and for nibbles, she enjoys ice-cold Coke, shortbread, and a daily piece of homemade chocolate biscuit cake. (Handmade by her own personal chefs of course.)
Something In The Basement
What do you keep in your basement? Junk? Old pictures? Wine? Well, how about an ATM machine? That sounds about right, right? Well for normal folk like us, having an ATM in our basement would seem far-fetched and kind of pointless. But for the royals, it’s not.
Hidden inside the basement of Buckingham Palace lies an actual ATM machine... Members of the royal family – and nobody else – can pop down and get some cash from the ATM whenever they need it! All of it, of course, has the Queen’s face on it.
A Royal Flush
You wouldn’t dare bring up toilet antics and bathroom talk with a royal would you? Just imagine, telling The Queen you’re popping out of the room to go to the toilet. You can just picture the horror on the poor old woman’s face. But we’re all human after all.
So it’s no surprise to learn that Buckingham Palace has bathrooms. 78 of them in fact! Boasting crystals and luxury, each bathroom is so fancy it would make going to the toilet, feel like a trip to a palace!
Haunted Tales
A building as old as Buckingham Palace makes us wonder whether or not it’s haunted. Do ghosts linger around in its never-ending halls?
Well back in the day, Major John Gwynne, the private secretary to King Edward VIII, caused a complete and utter scandal when he divorced his wife. The pain was ultimately too much for him and be shot himself inside his office. Now, decades later, rumor has it that a ghostly gunshot can still be heard echoing from that room...
A Garden Fit For A Queen
We all love our gardens right? Well, imagine if your garden could fit four Wembley Stadiums, or 30 American football fields inside it. Ah, that’s the dream!
Inside the Queen’s 39-acre garden - the biggest private garden in London - lies three separate areas: a rose garden which is next to Hyde Park, Harrisons which includes a gigantic lawn; and a less manicured area called the Yard. We can't imagine the number of hours it must take to keep this garden - or should we say field! - looking its best. Your small backyard doesn’t sound too bad now, right?
The 1844 Room
What do former President Obama and Hollywood royalty Angelina Jolie have in common? (Aside from being the nation's' sweethearts’ of course!)
Well, they are two of the very lucky ones that have entered the mysterious 1844 room in Buckingham Palace. The room which is a special place where events and shows are held, is known by this name as the royals recurved Tsar Nicholas in there in 1844. And when we say this room oozes luxury, we’re not wrong!
Its Very Own Zip Code
If you ever get the chance to visit Buckingham Palace you’ll be able to spot it in no time right? After all, it is a world-famous historical landmark. But did you know this Palace is so big it actually has its own zip code?
The code which reads at SW1A 1AAA, covers a few houses outside the palace, and those houses within the SW1 zip code area are considered the most fanciest of houses in London!
Private Rooms
There’s a ton of rooms in Buckingham Palace, 775 to be exact, so obviously, the majesty herself has first dibs on any of them.
But supposedly, the queen only actually uses six of the rooms! According to former staff members that worked in the palace, they claimed the queen only uses her bedroom, bathroom, dressing room, sitting room, waiting room, and the Audience Room.
A Secret River
There’s no question about it; Buckingham Palace has its secrets; hidden in the floors and seeping within its walls. But one of the most surprising secrets is the hidden River Tyburn that flows beneath the palace.
The water goes under the courtyard and through its south wing. However, nowadays it’s considered more of a sewer. A ‘secret sewer’ doesn’t sound very glamorous, does it?
Swinging From The Chandelier
Inside the palace, magnificent light fixtures help guide you through its 775 rooms. But have you ever wondered how all these stunning light features get cleaned?
In a BBC documentary, it was revealed that the chandeliers can be lowered down by remote control. But back in the day, George IV employed 30 people to keep the candles lit in the years before electricity was installed!