10 interesting facts about Buckingham Palace in London

Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the kings and queens of England. However, it wasn't built by or for them. John Sheffield, the first Duke of Buckingham, built Buckingham House on the site in 1703. King George III purchased it in 1761. When Queen Victoria took over the throne in 1837, she named Buckingham Palace her official residence.

Buckingham Palace is the country's equivalent of the White House, yet the security team couldn't keep out a teenager named Edward Jones. Nicknamed "the boy Jones," he broke into the building three times between 1838 and 1841. Jones stole food from the palace's kitchen and Queen Victoria's underwear from her chamber and sat on the royal throne. His success also invited copycats, with Michael Fagan breaking into the palace in 1982.

World War II caused massive devastation across Europe, including museums, government buildings, heritage structures, and thousands of civilian houses and apartments. Despite its importance to England's heritage and history, Buckingham Palace was also bombarded in the war. The British government advised King George VI and his family to vacate the building, but they chose to remain in the palace, even as German bombers aimed nine direct hits at it.

Buckingham Palace stretches over 39 acres, with gardens surrounding the grand palace. The royals can find everything they need inside the building. From a post office to a movie theatre, police station, and clinic, Buckingham Palace is like a village or tiny town in itself. Inside, you'll find over 775 rooms, including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 19 state rooms, and 78 bathrooms.

Buckingham Palace plays host to royal and government meetings and overseas dignitaries. But in June 1937, the palace played host to something different: a Girl Guides meeting, the UK equivalent of Girl Scouts. Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret organised the first meeting of the 1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company, held in a garden summerhouse with 20 Guides and 14 Brownies, mostly daughters of royal household staff and courtiers.

The palace's walls are built from oolitic limestone, a sedimentary rock also used in the construction of the Empire State Building and the Pentagon. A 2018 study published in Scientific Reports concluded that oolitic limestone forms around the mineralised remains of microscopic organisms. This means the fossils in Buckingham Palace's structure are over 200 million years old.

In December 1918, President Wilson became the first sitting US President to visit Buckingham Palace. He was on his way to a peace conference in Paris but decided to stop by with First Lady Edith Wilson. King George V hosted him at the palace, cementing strong ties between the nations. Several American heads of state have visited since, including President Jimmy Carter in 1977, who famously kissed the Queen Mother goodbye — a moment tabloids reported as a kiss on the lips, though Carter maintained it was a light peck on the cheek.

Queen Elizabeth II modernised the monarchy and took an active interest in government and political decisions. Alongside this, her Buckingham Palace Garden Parties are equally memorable. Three are held every summer at the palace, with a fourth held separately at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. Guests get through roughly 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake at each party, washed down with the palace's own tea blend.

Visitors can tell whether The King is inside Buckingham Palace by looking at the flag flying above it. Two flags are used: the Royal Standard and the Union Jack. If the Royal Standard is flying, it means The King is in the palace. If the Union Jack is flying, it means he isn't.

According to some royal historians, red was one of the cheapest and most readily available dyes when the guards' uniforms were first made, making it an economical choice. The red uniforms have since become a deeply ingrained tradition of the British Royal Guard, symbolising power, prestige, and national identity. Some also argue the red uniforms project an imposing, authoritative presence near the palace.