Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Green Park, Piccadilly, London W1J 9EJ England
One of the eight Royal Parks full of colour and life with an intriguing tale of how it got its name - the stuff of legends!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St. James's Palace, Marlborough Road, London SW1A 1BQ England
Built by Henry V111 on the site of a women's leper hospital, this palace has been at the centre of many important Royal events. WE DO NOT GO INSIDE THE PALACE but learn much about the Royals who lived here, were born her and married here, and why it is of such significance to both Elizabeth I and Charles I.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Changing of the Guard, Constitution Hill Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA England
A chance to see this ancient ceremony - but only if it is scheduled for the day of the tour! If we move quickly enough, we'll be able to see the ceremony from three different locations. If we're lucky, we'll also catch the mounted cavalry as they trot down the Mall on their way to Horse Guards for the Changing of the Guard ceremony there. This is pageantry at its best!
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Clarence House, St. James's Palace, London SW1A 2WH England
Built by the famous architect John Nash in the 1820s, Clarence House was home to the Queen Elizabeth II's mother when her husband George VI died in 1952 until her own death in 2002. After that, it became home to Charles and Camilla who, as King Charles III and the Queen Consort, continue to live when they are in London. Whether once that will continue to be the case once the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is completed remains to be seen.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lancaster House, Stable Yard, London SW1A 1BB England
Made from beautiful Bath stone, this building stood in for Buckingham Palace in Downton Abbey.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Buckingham Palace, Spur Road, London SW1A 1AA England
We DO NOT GO INSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE but get a wonderful view of it from Victoria Gardens across the road. The palace has been the official residence of the UK's Kings and Queen's since 1837 and is one of London's most iconic and recognisable buildings. It is the monarchy's office and one of the few working palaces in the world. This is your chance to see the world famous balcony where the Royal family shares its celebrations with the nation including Queen Elizabeth II's gold, diamond and platinum jubilees.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Wellington Barracks Birdcage Walk, London SW1E 6HQ England
Home to the Queen's Life Guards - another chance to see a bit of pageantry if it's scheduled to go ahead on the day of the tour
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: St. James's Park, Horse Guards Road The Storeyard, London SW1A 2BJ England
Arguably, the prettiest of London's Royal Parks with an abundance of wild life living on and around the gorgeous ornamental lake. One of the main attractions are the six pelicans so fingers crossed they put in an appearance during the tour! All in all, four kings have worked on St James' Park to make it what it is today. Standing on the Blue Bridge spanning the lake, we get another great view of Buckingham Palace together with a lot of interesting Royal facts.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall, Horse Guards Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX England
Meander through what used to be Henry VIII's tiltyard for jousting and where 5000 tons of sand was imported for the 2012 London Olympics - but for which sport?! Two ancient ceremonies are practiced here nowadays: the Changing of the Guard which happens on a daily basis and the Trooping of the Colour which is an annual event - here all about them in this fascinating location.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Trafalgar Square, Centre of the City, London SW1A England
The largest square in London, it is home to the famous column with Admiral Nelson perched on top. It is also home to the smallest police station in Britain and one of the largest art museums, the National Gallery. A real contrast between the large and small!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Hampton Court Palace, A308, East Molesey KT8 9AU England
Hampton Court Palace is, in fact, two royal palaces not one. Originally built in 1515 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, he had always promised the King he could use it whenever he wanted to. In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, and Henry VIII took over the palace, money was no object and an eye watering sum of money was spent doing it up.
When William III arrived from Holland in 1688, he commissioned the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren to build an alternative palace which was intended to rival the Palace of Versailles. In the event, Wren built a 'his' and a 'hers' suite of rooms and it is the 'his' set we look around on this tour. If time permits, there are a number of other gems to look round at Hampton Court including the Georgian rooms, the real tennis court and the wonderful gardens.
Duration: 3 hours