The present building is the third on the site. Around 300 people work there.
Look at the flag pole on top of the Palace. When the Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flag is raised. A soldier is responsible for taking it down the moment the Queen leaves.
Though the Palace is generally not open to the public, during summer you can visit its State Apartments (admission charge) and see the Queen’s large garden and collection of artwork.
You can however see the Changing of the Guard for free at 11.30 am every morning during summer and every second morning during winter.
(To get a less crowded view of the guards as they march past you, stand anywhere along the Mall between the Palace and Horseguards.)
The large memorial in front of Buckingham Palace is called the Queen Victoria Memorial. Unveiled in 1911, the statue of the seated Victoria is 13 feet tall, yet was made from a single block of marble.
Next to Buckingham Palace, on your left as you face the Memorial, is
The park was a popular place for duels during the eighteenth century.
See Buckingham Palace on the royal walk.