TheRobin's » London, United Kingdom

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Buckingham Palace is one enormous people magnet. Every day, rain or shine, tourists eagerly press their noses between the railings and try to see into this most famous of royal residences. And yes, the Queen and Prince Phillip do actually live there, although their home is also a busy venue for innumerable state banquets, held in honor of the world’s great and good. If you want to get farther than the railings without being arrested, visit the nineteen spectacular state rooms that are open in August and September, when the royal household goes to Scotland for a well-earned break. Just don’t sit on the furniture; it’s mainly French and worth a king’s ransom. For the rest of the year, you can nose around the Royal Mews, where the Gold State Coach glistens in an almost indecent amount of gold paint. The Queen’s Gallery is home to exhibitions drawn from the Royal Collection, featuring a stunning array of paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Canaletto, plus luxurious objects d’arte such as exquisitely jeweled Fabergé eggs. The best sight of all is free: The Changing of the Guard is a proud parade of pomp and music, as the guards march from Wellington Barracks at 11.30 a.m. sharp to swap with their much-photographed colleagues in front of Buckingham Palace. Get there by 11 a.m. for the best viewpoints.

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