Buckingham Palace to open a wing to the public for the first time
Newsy
The public will get to see two new royal structures this summer: one in Buckingham Palace and another in Scotland.
Ever wanted to stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, waving to crowds of onlookers as the royals do? Well this summer, you'll get your closest shot — though no promises you'll see as big of a crowd as, say, an agitated Prince Louis.
AP
On Wednesday, the Royal Collection Trust announced the palace's East Wing, which encompasses the famous balcony, will be open for guided public tours in July and August.
And although visitors won't be able to stand on the balcony itself — where members of the Royal Family have for most big moments since 1851, including King Charles' 2023 coronation — they'll visit never-before-seen rooms on the Principal Floor, garnished by lavish art from the Royal Collection, and learn the history of the wing, which Queen Victoria and her family first occupied. The tour ends in the Centre Room, which leads onto the famous balcony.
Though now used by the Royal Family for "official meetings and events," from 1847 to 1849, Queen Victoria commissioned a plan to turn what was once a horseshoe-shaped courtyard into the current East Wing because she needed more space for her "growing family," the Trust says.