Top 10 Royal Attractions to visit for The Queen’s 90th Birthday

Windsor Castle
April 11, 2016

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Turning 90 is cause for a big celebration whoever you are – but when it’s the Queen, it’s cause for the whole country to celebrate!

2016 marks the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (both her actual birthday on April 21st and her official birthday on the weekend of June 11th & 12th) – and you can join in the birthday excitement at any of these attractions which all have a special place in her life!

Did You Know? When you pre-book attraction tickets they’re usually cheaper than paying on the door, and you’ll often get to jump the queues too!

1. Buckingham Palace: The Ultimate Royal Residence!

London

Buckingham Palace state rooms
Your chance to get a glimpse into the lives of the Royals in a behind-the-scenes tour of the place where Her Majesty actually lives!

As The Queen lives here for most of the year, the Palace’s State Rooms are only open to the public for 2 months a year, when she makes her summer visit to Scotland. That means there’s only 2 months each year that you can visit – so booking tickets in advance is ESSENTIAL.

Book tickets to Buckingham Palace

2. Westminster Abbey: Where The Queen was Crowned AND Married

London

WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Take an audio-guided tour of the official Royal wedding venue – where Her Majesty was married in 1947 and crowned in 1953, and more recently the venue of Prince William and Kate’s fairytale wedding.

Find out more about Westminster Abbey

3. St Paul’s Cathedral: Where Charles & Diana were Married

London

St Paul's CathedralFamously the venue of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding, it’s highly recommended to pre-book a visit to St. Paul’s – plus you’ll get to skip the long queues if you already have your tickets!

Book Queue Jump tickets for St Paul’s

4. Palace of Holyroodhouse: The Queen’s Residence in Scotland

Edinburgh

Palace of Holyroodhouse
London not exactly on your doorstep? Not to worry, Her Majesty also has an official residence much further North!

During a self-guided tour of Holyroodhouse you’ll get to see the State Apartments, used for ceremonies and entertaining, and discover the juicy details of Mary Queen of Scots’ turbulent reign.

Visit The Palace of Holyroodhouse

5. Royal Yacht Britannia: The Queen’s Floating Residence

Edinburgh

Royal Yacht Britannia
Consistently in Tripadvisor’s Top 3 attractions in the UK and Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction for 10 years running by VisitScotland, The Royal Yacht Britannia is an absolute must-do!

As The Queen’s floating residence for over 40 years, The Royal Yacht will be celebrating Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in style on both 21st April and 12th June, with complimentary birthday cupcakes and fizz served on-board. The Royal Deck Tea Room will also serve a special menu featuring some of The Queen’s favourite dishes!

Visit The Royal Yacht Britannia

6. Windsor Castle: Her Majesty’s Weekend Residence

London

windsor castle
Visit the place where Her Majesty The Queen spends most of her weekends! The tour also gives you a glimpse into the magnificent State Apartments, which are home to Queen Mary’s fabulous dolls’ house – the most famous dolls’ house in the world!

Visit Windsor Castle

7. The Royal Mews: Where the Royal Coaches & Horses Live

London

Buckingham Palace royal mews
At the Royal Mews you can see the magnificent state vehicles used for coronations and royal weddings – including the dazzling Gold State Coach from The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. You’ll also get to visit the Palace Stables and meet the royal horses!

Visit The Royal Mews

8. The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace

London

The queen's gallery
When The Queen puts her name to a gallery, you know it’s going to be something special! The Queen’s Gallery is located in Buckingham Palace and hosts a different, stunning exhibition of royal treasures every year.

Visit the Queen’s Gallery

9. The Household Cavalry Museum: See the Queen’s Guards

London

Household Cavalry Horse Guards
Located within Horse Guards in Whitehall, this living museum gives you the unique opportunity to see real troopers working with real horses doing their everyday jobs.

Don’t miss seeing the daily Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard – a ceremony that has been carried out by the Household Cavalry for over 350 years!

Visit The Household Cavalry Museum

10. Kensington Palace: Home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

LondonKensington Palace & Gardens

Advance tickets for Kensington Palace also include a free tour of the beautiful Palace Gardens, with their magnificent statue of Queen Victoria, iconic Gold Gates and the Sunken Garden which isn’t normally open to the public.

Visit Kensington Palace

About the author

Farrah Hedwat

Farrah is AttractionTix’s resident Copywriter. A city girl at heart, her best-loved travel moments are exploring new cities across the world like Barcelona or Los Angeles. Farrah’s favourite things are eating, sleeping, shopping and animals (but mostly animals). Her pet hates are bad grammar and other writing-based “offences”.

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