Buckingham Palace

The original building was constructed as a countryhouse in 1705 by the duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield. King George III bought the house in 1761 for his wife and had it altered by William Chambers.
In 1826, King George IV started to expand the house into a palace. Due to a lack of sufficient funding, the architect John Nash incorporated the existing house in the new palace.
In 1850 the large east wing was added. It includes a large 40 meter long ballroom. The large façade which can be seen from the Mall was built in 1913 by Aston Webb.

A part of the palace is still used by the Royal family. A flag is hoisted each time the Queen is in the castle. Other parts of the castle can be visited, including the lavishly decorated state rooms.

Buckingham Palace is located in Westminster, at the end of the Mall. It is bordered by Green Park in the north and by St. James's Park in the east. The statue in front of the Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial.