Royal LondonBanqueting
House
Whitehall, SW1
Built by Inigo
Jones for James I from 1619, it was the only major part of Whitehall palace
to survive the fire of 1698. Contains a marvellous painted ceiling by Rubens.
 Charing Cross, Embankment,
Westminster Buckingham Palace
The Mall, SW1
The London residence of the queen. Open for (pricey)
tours of the State Rooms, including the Throne Room, from early August to early
October. Details at www.royalcollection.org.uk.
Tickets from kiosk in Green Park. Info on Changing the Guard here.
St. James Park, Victoria Eltham
Palace
Court Road, Eltham, SE9
One of the major Tudor palaces,
Eltham has been badly damaged, and suffers from Art-Deco additions, but the Great
Hall of 1480 is intact, with its remarkable hammer-beam roof. The modern additions
are quite striking if Art-Deco is your cup of tea.
Eltham Hampton Court Palace
East Molsey, Surrey, KT8
Begun by Cardinal Wolsey, who found it expedient to offer it to Henry VIII, this
magnificent red-brick Tudor Palace is set in extensive formal and informal gardens
beside the Thames. Visit the popular hedge maze, and the state apartments, with
work by Christopher Wren and carvings by Grinling Gibbons. See if you can spot
the ghost of Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife, who is said to haunt the palace.
Hampton
Court (from Waterloo), or by waterbus from Westminster Pier, Richmond, or Kingston. Kensington
Palace
Kensington Gardens, W8
The royal residence here was
redesigned by Christopher Wren for William and Mary in 1689. The State Apartments
and the Court Dress Collection are open to the public, along with the sunken gardens.
See the room where Queen Victoria was born, and paintings and furniture from the
royal collection.
Queensway, Bayswater, High Street Kensington Royal Mews
Buckingham
Palace Road, SW1
Houses the royal vehicles, including carriages, horses,
and equestrian gear. The 1910 Glass Coach is used for royal weddings, but the
prize of the collection is the Gold State Coach (1762), used for coronations.
Victoria
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