Location: London, England Date completed: 1703, frequently modified and rebuilt since Designers: As we know it today, mainly the work of John Nash Function: Royal Palace

To Britons, and especially Londoners, Buckingham Palace is much more than just a royal residence. It is also the focal point for the city and the nation in times of sadness and celebration. From its famous balcony the royal family have joined the public in celebrating victories in war, royal weddings and royal births. Outside the Palace railings, crowds have gathered to mourn the passing of monarchs and other much loved royals. It's also a venue for garden parties and award ceremonies and a setting for banquets welcoming foreign dignitaries. And of course it's home to the royal family and many of their staff.

The site of Buckingham Palace has changed hands many times since the Saxon era, being owned by among others Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, the monks of Westminster Abbey and various commoners. The building which is the core of the present Palace, Buckingham House, was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham and Normandy. George III purchased it in 1761, paying £21,000 (supposedly £2,820,000 in today's money, but in terms of average wages, probably very much more). It was intended for Queen Charlotte to use as a comfortable family house and 14 of the couple's 15 children were born there. In 1762 the first of many modifications took place. George IV also remodelled the house, commissioning the architect John Nash to transform the house into a palace. Nash doubled the size of the main block and demolished and rebuilt the north and south wings, with the Marble Arch as the centrepiece of a large courtyard. However, Queen Victoria was the first monarch to use the Palace as a royal residence and again made major changes, including in 1847 moving the Marble Arch to Hyde Park and building a fourth wing. The Palace forecourt, where the Changing of the Guard takes place, was constructed in 1911, together with the gates and railings. Today the Palace has 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. While it contains fabulous antiques and artworks, it is not a museum, but a family home and royal administrative hub.