Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty, the Queen.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. It was acquired by George III in 1761[2] as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House".

During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British march after the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837.

The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregate to greet crowds outside.

However, when the palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.

The Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London.