Buckingham Palace

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Lonely Planet review

Built in 1705 as Buckingham House for the duke of the same name, this palace has provided the royal family's London lodgings since 1837, when St James's Palace was judged too old-fashioned and insufficiently impressive. It is dominated by the 25m-high Queen Victoria Memorial at the end of the Mall. Tickets for the palace are on sale from a kiosk in Green Park.

After a series of crises and embarrassing revelations in the early 1990s, the royal spin doctors cranked things up a gear to try and rally public support behind the royals once again, and it was decided to swing open the royal doors of Buck House to the public for the first time. Well, to 19 of the 661 rooms, at least. And only during August and September, when HRH was holidaying in Scotland. And for a veritable king's ransom, but still, we mustn't quibble - no price is too great for an opportunity to see the Windsors' Polaroids plastered all over the fridge door.