Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is now one of the few working royal Palaces remaining in the world today. During 2012 the doors will be open to the public, to give you the once in a lifetime chance to see the residence of Her Majesty Elizabeth II.

The State Rooms - Open from 31st July - 7th October 2012

The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture.

As part of the Summer Opening of the State Rooms, an exhibition to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee forms part of your Summer 2012 visit to the Palace. This spectacular exhibition shows the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. It includes a number of The Queen’s personal jewels - those inherited by Her Majesty or acquired during her reign. The exhibition reveals how many of these extraordinary stones have undergone a number of transformations, having been re-cut or incorporated into new settings during their fascinating history.