Buckingham Palace is an undeniable landmark of London, which has served as the official residence of British monarchs for nearly two centuries. Its current appearance is the result of a long process of expansion and architectural alterations, carried out in stages by successive rulers. The history of the palace reflects the changing needs of the court, the representative ambitions of the monarchy and the gradual shaping of the façade, which has become the image of Great Britain known throughout the world.
The beginnings – Buckingham House
The first building on this site was constructed in 1703 as the London residence of John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. The building was then known as Buckingham House and had no connection with the royal court, serving as the private palace of an aristocrat. Its scale and form were in keeping with the fashion of the early 18th century and were far from today’s monumentalism.
Residence of George III
In 1761, the property was purchased by King George III. The new owner designated it as a private home for his family. The rather intimate building was rebuilt under the direction of William Chambers and adapted to the needs of the court. This was the first stage in which the former city palace began to serve functions related to the monarchy, although it remained one of several royal residences without a major role.
Buckingham Palace – major expansion under George IV
The largest and most significant changes to George III’s residence came in the 19th century. His eldest son ascended the throne after his father’s death in 1820. George IV, as he was named, entrusted the modernisation of the estate to John Nash, one of the most important architects of the era. The former Buckingham House was transformed into a vast palace with three wings surrounding a representative courtyard. The residence was given classicising details, arcades and rich sculptural decoration inspired by French and Italian architecture. The expansion also included the interiors. The palace was furnished with elegant rooms finished with marble, stucco and gilding, and some of the furnishings were moved here from the demolished Carlton House. Budget overruns led to Nash’s removal from further work, but it was his vision that gave the palace the status of a full-fledged royal residence.
Queen Victoria’s East Wing
Another very important stage came during the reign of Queen Victoria. With the enlargement of the royal family and the expansion of the court, the existing layout was no longer sufficient. In 1847, Edward Blore designed a new east wing, which enclosed the courtyard and gave the palace a quadrangular layout. The new façade was quite modest in form and subordinated to function rather than representativeness. It housed the sovereign’s private apartments, rooms for children and staff, and the famous balcony from which the monarch first appeared in public in 1851. From that moment on, this inconspicuous element of the façade became an extremely important part of ceremonies and public celebrations.
A new façade under George V
At the beginning of the 20th century, after Queen Victoria’s death, it was decided that the façade built during her reign needed to be modified. The stone used at the time deteriorated quickly and blackened in the poor conditions of heavily industrialised London, and the appearance of the building itself was considered too restrained – after all, this façade was located on the main ceremonial axis of The Mall. In 1913, Sir Aston Webb redesigned the problematic façade, using durable Portland stone and introducing a clear classical composition with a central avant-corps and a prominent balcony. The changes mainly concerned the external form of the wing and technical solutions. The interior layout remained largely untouched, while the building gained a uniform, representative appearance, more visible during state ceremonies and public appearances of the royal family.
Buckingham Palace during World War II
When discussing the fate of the residence, it is also worth mentioning the Second World War and the massive air raids on London. Buckingham Palace was directly hit by as many as nine bombs. The most destructive attack took place on 13 September 1940, when the bombs levelled the Chapel Royal and shattered hundreds of windows in the royal apartments. The explosions also damaged the external infrastructure, including the entrance pavilion, where a policeman was killed, and shrapnel severely damaged the representative façade and fence. Despite such extensive damage and the real threat to the lives of the monarchs, the residence was not abandoned. The famous statement by Queen Elizabeth (mother of Elizabeth II and later Queen Mother): “I am glad we were bombed. Now I feel I can look the people of the East End straight in the face,” ultimately cemented Buckingham Palace’s status as the moral centre of wartime Britain.
Buckingham Palace today
The 19th-century extensions and the 1913 modernisation of the palace façade shaped its current form and cemented its importance in London’s public space. Today, Buckingham Palace serves as a venue for official meetings and ceremonies of national importance. It was in front of its gates that the British people gathered after the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997 and in 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away. The world-famous façade is therefore the backdrop for the most important events in the country and a symbol of its power.
Source: rct.uk
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The palace at the beginning of the 19th century and today. Source: Yale Centre for British Art and Google Maps
Buckingham Palace in 1910 and a century later. Source: Yale Center for British Art and Misterweiss, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The central risalit of the building before and after reconstruction. Source: libis-kul.primo.exlibrisgroup.com and Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
