Buckingham Palace 1: Ending Sep 2022


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One of Canada’s most storied regiments is standing guard at Buckingham Palace for the first time in more than 70 years.
Approximately 70 members of the Ceremonial Guard of the Royal 22e Regiment, affectionately known as the Van Doos, took part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace Monday morning. The regiment will also mount the guard on July 16 and 18 at St. James’s Palace and the Tower of London.
The last time the Van Doos stood guard outside Buckingham Palace was for one week in the spring of 1940 at the request of King George VI, Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
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Van Doos: Storied Canadian regiment mounts the guard at Buckingham Palace | CTV News
 
Dman said:
Video:
Gifts given to Prince George - from a rocking horse to a silver breakfast set - are some of the star attractions of a new exhibition opening at Buckingham Palace. Shows: SOT Anna Reynolds, from the Royal Collection Trust and curator of the exhibition and gvs exhibition-
Home - ITNSource News

Royal playtime: Enchanting and intimate home-movie pictures show the Windsors really DO know how to have fun-
Royal's home-movie shows the Windsors really DO know how to have fun | Mail Online
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I wish this exhibition was open longer!
 
The Queen will be back in London and so the exhibition has to close.

They do these special exhibitions every year to encourage people to go and visit every year.
 
The Blue Drawing Room served as a ballroom for a young Queen Victoria before the architect John Pennethorne built her the bigger one.
​
 
it emerged last week that kate took george for a swimming lesson at buckingham. some of us were surprised buckingham had a pool, and some websites reported how the staff can use the pool, yet they need to get out of the pool immediately should a royal arrive.
i found this slightly unfair. after all, buckingham is paid for by the taxpayer and only 'loaned' to the royals. isn't it slighly demeaning and classicist to ask staff to "immediately should a royal arrive"?
 
carlota said:
it emerged last week that kate took george for a swimming lesson at buckingham. some of us were surprised buckingham had a pool, and some websites reported how the staff can use the pool, yet they need to get out of the pool immediately should a royal arrive.
i found this slightly unfair. after all, buckingham is paid for by the taxpayer and only 'loaned' to the royals. isn't it slighly demeaning and classicist to ask staff to "immediately should a royal arrive"?
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As I see it, it is HMs house, and it comes with the job. It is jolly nice of HM to let staff use her pool, when not in use by members of her family. It is not a communal pool in any way (just as the Bentley is her use, and not for the maids to use). Should a staff member consider it unfair, they could always take their speedo's down to the local council gym and swim whenever they fancy it.
 
muriel said:
As I see it, it is HMs house, and it comes with the job. It is jolly nice of HM to let staff use her pool, when not in use by members of her family. It is not a communal pool in any way (just as the Bentley is her use, and not for the maids to use). Should a staff member consider it unfair, they could always take their speedo's down to the local council gym and swim whenever they fancy it.
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yes, i guess it's a good way of looking at it and i agree it's nice that the pool is open to staff in the first place. however, if it's open to staff, then why not let them use the pool even in the presence of a royal? or if it's too much for the royals to handle, then perhaps best to make it a private pool for their private use only rather than demand a protocol that could well fit in a medieval story?
 
carlota said:
yes, i guess it's a good way of looking at it and i agree it's nice that the pool is open to staff in the first place. however, if it's open to staff, then why not let them use the pool even in the presence of a royal? or if it's too much for the royals to handle, then perhaps best to make it a private pool for their private use only rather than demand a protocol that could well fit in a medieval story?
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The regular swimmers I have known swim on a rough schedule. So except for the heat of the day, my guess is swimmers at BP know who who is likely to turn up when they do. They have already sussed who pre-approves that they are doing laps on the left side of the pool.
I'm equally sure that staff asks the appropriate person - when is a good time for me to do laps?
I'm also of the opinion that The Duchess asked ahead of time what was a good day/hour to bring a toddler and that frequent users were warned this was the baby splash hour. After all, these people have common sense, social skills and an understanding of how things are done. ;)
 
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carlota said:
yes, i guess it's a good way of looking at it and i agree it's nice that the pool is open to staff in the first place. however, if it's open to staff, then why not let them use the pool even in the presence of a royal? or if it's too much for the royals to handle, then perhaps best to make it a private pool for their private use only rather than demand a protocol that could well fit in a medieval story?
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I think maybe the pool was originally intended for royal family use only - but when it was left often empty - it was deemed staff could use it as well, with that proviso being added. Who knows if it is actually enforced. I could easily see if 1 person swimming laps on the side, no one would ask him to leave. But given the caste system at the palace, depending upon their role, I would imagine they might leave anyway.
 
I'm sure there is a schedule pinned somewhere in the pool with information on which day the Queen, Duke, PoW etc use the pool. My guess is that Catherine just added her preferred time.
 
It is my assumption that the private use of the pool by royals and by the staff have the provisos in place mostly out consideration of the royal family. If and when any member of the royal family do use the pool, having it be a totally private time probably is a real blessing for a family that, for the most part, give up a lot of their privacy and are constantly under the eagle eye of the press and the public.

Its also an extra added measure to ensure that leaks (and I don't mean the yellow area possibly around George) of what any one of the royals look like in a bathing suit or their adeptness at certain swimming strokes never ever reach the public domain.

Staff being able to swim in the pool is a privilege and I seriously don't think anyone that works at BP and has taken signed a confidentiality agreement would be bold enough to complain about their restrictions on use.
 
It would be interesting to know if staff at the White House, or the Elysee have the run of the pool ?

As others have said this is thw Queens HOME, and i think it is very decent of her to open the use of the pool to others...
 
I wouldn't be surprised if William and/or Catherine use the BP pool to swim laps regularly. They are both swimmers and very fit and swimming is one of the best ways to exercise and a great stress reliever.
 
Do you think the Queen actually uses it. Somehow she doesn't seem to be a swimming-person to me. My guess is that she takes walks and rides to stay fit.
The Duke of E might, though.
 
The Queen and Margaret used it when they were little. The Queen's kids learned to swim there. The Queen probably hasn't used it recently.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community
 
who knows, i guess it's good exercise for someone her age and it's very gentle on the articulations, so i'd say it's possible she uses it, but maybe not much.
 
I actually visited Buckingham Palace yesterday and not last weekend as I had posted on another thread a while ago, since something went wrong with the booking. I thoroughly enjoyed it although particularly liked the Royal Childhood exhibition. The videos were delightful (I won't mention what was in them just incase anyone here is planning on going to the exhibition), and I thought it was nice how they showed the tartan pinafore/dress that Lady Louise wore in this photo. It was lovely close up.

I'll post the next part of my post in this thread since I don't have a lot to say here. I also visited Clarence House, which was interesting, and it was fun to see all of Charles and Camilla's books in the bookcases. I also learnt that Prince George visits his grandparents every Sunday at Clarence House, which I didn't know beforehand.
 
:previous: thank you for sharing your experience and your views!:flowers:
 
HereditaryPrincess said:
I actually visited Buckingham Palace yesterday and not last weekend as I had posted on another thread a while ago, since something went wrong with the booking. I thoroughly enjoyed it although particularly liked the Royal Childhood exhibition. The videos were delightful (I won't mention what was in them just incase anyone here is planning on going to the exhibition), and I thought it was nice how they showed the tartan pinafore/dress that Lady Louise wore in this photo. It was lovely close up.

I'll post the next part of my post in this thread since I don't have a lot to say here. I also visited Clarence House, which was interesting, and it was fun to see all of Charles and Camilla's books in the bookcases. I also learnt that Prince George visits his grandparents every Sunday at Clarence House, which I didn't know beforehand.
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Hope you enjoyed your royal visits ,I'd love to see both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House!
 
HereditaryPrincess said:
I actually visited Buckingham Palace yesterday and not last weekend as I had posted on another thread a while ago, since something went wrong with the booking. I thoroughly enjoyed it although particularly liked the Royal Childhood exhibition. The videos were delightful (I won't mention what was in them just incase anyone here is planning on going to the exhibition), and I thought it was nice how they showed the tartan pinafore/dress that Lady Louise wore in this photo. It was lovely close up.

I'll post the next part of my post in this thread since I don't have a lot to say here. I also visited Clarence House, which was interesting, and it was fun to see all of Charles and Camilla's books in the bookcases. I also learnt that Prince George visits his grandparents every Sunday at Clarence House, which I didn't know beforehand.
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Those visits must have been an amazing experience for you and would definitely be on my list of places to go if I was ever to be in London.

Sunday visits to Grampa and Gramma just sounds too cozy for words. It also reinforces just how close knit of a family they are.

Thanks for sharing this with us.
 
In Royal Palaces, it was stated:

The Green Drawing Room, once Queen Charlotte's Salon, acts as an assembly room for functions in the Throne and Music Rooms. It seems at first more gold than green - the predominant color, except for the silk wall panels and pelmets.
​

The Bow Room was intended to be a library, part of the apartments of King George IV. :books::books::books::books:
​

The balcony off the Balcony Room was first used by Queen Victoria in 1854 when she watched battalions of her troops march out of the forecourt before leaving for the Crimea.
​
 
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A Royalist’s guide to London: Buckingham Palace
The Queen’s primary London residence stands proud at the end of The Mall in central London, flanked by Green Park and St James’s Park.

Buckingham House, as it was known before becoming a Royal residence, was bought by George III in 1762 as a private residence for his wife, Charlotte, and their family, close to St James’s Palace (the official seat of The British Monarchy).

It was remodelled for The Queen and her brood, and then some more when George IV took to the throne. He spent hundreds of thousands on the house and designer John Nash lost his job thanks to the extravagance and cost of the work.
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Aesthetically, I don't believe that Buckingham Palace is on the same level as some of the Continental palaces, unfortunately. Some Russian palaces built for aristocrats in the 18th century are just magical.

The interiors at Buckingham Palace also suffer from the delusions that Prince Albert seemingly suffered from, that he was a tasteful interior decorator and that the mid-Victorian period was the epitome of taste. Neither is true!

JMO, and I'm British-born, so it's not sour grapes!
 
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