Showing posts with label royal wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label royal wedding. Show all posts

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Buckingham Palace Tour

When I found out I was going to London on a business trip, I realized that I would be there while the Buckingham Palace State Rooms were open to the public.  And in 2011, the tour also included an exhibition of Kate Middleton's wedding dress.  It was an entirely touristy thing to do, but I have to say that I enjoyed the tour even more than I expected.   


Your ticket to Buckingham Palace includes...
The Royal Wedding Dress
Royal Faberge Special Exhibition
A walk along the south side of the Palace garden
An audio tour of the State Rooms and special exhibitions

As you might expect, we weren't allowed to take photographs inside the palace, but if you visit the British Monarchy's Flickr stream, you can see some images of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Cambridge looking at the wedding dress exhibit.  Here's one of the pictures posted there:

A photo of the dress from the British Monarchy's Flickr photostream.
Visitors could walk all around the platform to see the dress from all sides.
The wedding cake was also on display!  A couple layers of the cake were replicas,
but apparently the rest of it was the real thing.  (Really?!?!)
You could even see the slice that William and Kate had made when the cut the cake.

A royal lamppost.

Notable snake detail.


An inviting bench.

A satisfied Mr. Hunter poses before
the back of Buckingham Palace, seen from the gardens.
(He was still glowing from a friendly encounter with one of the Queen's Guards.)
The white tents on the left cover a little cafe.

A glimpse of the palace through the trees.
Something Pemberley-like in the sight.


We finished the tour by taking a walk through the idyllic gardens.


A lovely tree in the Buckingham Palace gardens.

Buckingham Palace
London, England
September 2011

Friday, June 1, 2012

The Royal Mews

Mr. Hunter visited the Royal Mews, home to the Royal Family's carriages, cars, and horses.

Mr. Hunter and the famous Glass Coach.

About the Glass Coach, in which Lady Diana Spencer
rode to St. Paul's Cathedral on her wedding day.

Mr. Hunter and the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI in which Kate Middleton
rode to her wedding at Westminster Abbey.


Read more about the Royal Wedding-related sights that Mr. Hunter visited.

The pleasingly decorated Australian State Coach.


About the Australian State Coach.
Its features include electric windows and air conditioning.

I liked how the Australian Coat of Arms included a kangaroo and an emu.


Employees of the Royal Mews live in some of these apartments.

The old Christmas sleigh.

The one in the left is marked "Goat Cart"

Donkey Barouche
The word "barouche" always reminds
me of Jane Austen.

Sedan chair.

This horse was named Mary Tudor.

London, England
September 2011

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Royal Wedding

Guess who got sent on a business trip to London!

Mr. Hunter visited a number of spots related to the April 29, 2011, wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, including a tour of Buckingham Palace to see Kate's wedding gown, veil, shoes, earrings, the Cartier "Halo" tiara, and even part of the couple's wedding cake.  (Too bad we couldn't take any pictures inside!)

Before we toured Buckingham Palace, we visited the Royal Mews, where we saw the Rolls Royce Phantom VI in which Kate Middleton rode to Westminster Abbey.


About the Rolls Royce that carried Kate Middleton to her wedding.

Some details from the Rolls Royce... the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament (when Queen Elizabeth II rides in the Rolls Royce, there's a different hood ornament that depicts St. George slaying the dragon) and the Queen's coat of arms.

   
The Goring Hotel was only a few blocks away from the palace.  Kate Middleton and her family spent the night before the royal wedding at the Goring Hotel.

The Goring Hotel 

The front of the Goring Hotel.

In the gardens of Buckingham Palace after the State Rooms tour
where we saw Kate's wedding dress.


Westminster Abbey

Happy anniversary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

The Royal Mews
The Goring Hotel
Buckingham Palace
and
Westminster Abbey
London, England
September 2011