Photos by H: Buckingham Palace, a day in London

So the other planned event I had for this week was a tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, this year they are featuring the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla and I wanted to see some of the items up close.

I had booked a ticket for 11 am to give me time to get there using my "old age" travel pass that allows free travel on the trains after 9.30. but after Tuesday's fiasco I decided to go earlier and pay for my travel!

I got to London about 9.20 and had ages to walk to Buckingham Palace.

I bought an apricot croissant from a well known coffee chain on Victoria Station to eat when I got there

No time for big bus tours though...

I headed up Buckingham Palace Road towards the Palace

pausing for a few photos on the way

it's only about 10 or 12 minutes walk to the Palace so I was well early

there were already lots of tourists milling around in the sunshine - despite the beautiful blue sky, it wasn't yet too hot, luckily

the Palace has it's own post office in the basement, mail vans on the forecourt in the corner

well you have to photograph the gates don't you...

I crossed the road and climbed the steps at the foot of the Victoria memorial and sat in some shade to eat my pastry. It was delicious, I can see I will be going to the Caffe Nero in Cheam where I work for one of those again!!

after I'd eaten it was time for more photos. I'd taken the long zoom today rather than the macro lens as I wouldn't be needing that

blogger is messing my order though but hey ho.

Queen Victoria looks very pristine white today against the blue sky

and the gold top to the statue was glinting in the sun

they keep the traffic away from parts of it, so you can cross from the pavement outside the Palace to the memorial without fearing for your life like you used to

looking down The Mall

gates to the park

close up of the bottom of the Victoria Memorial

I still had ages so this is St James Park from the road

pillar

I had gone in search of a loo (as there are none inside until you finish the tour) and had to go halfway up the Mall to find one.

still had plenty of time though and then it was time for my tour

through airport style security and warnings about no photography till you get to the gardens (such a shame, I could have taken loads!)

had my ticket not been for 11am, I could have watched the Changing of the Guard... not seen that for donkeys years!

Through airport style security scanners, warnings about turn your phones off (only heard one) and not taking photographs till you reach the gardens (only saw 1 lady - not English so perhaps she didn't realise.... ignore this)

the audio guide you get to accompany you through the 13 State Rooms that are open, was excellent ... at the end I will share the postcards I bought as souvenirs as that is all I can show you!

the State Rooms were marvellous, and it was fabulous to see the Coronation Robes up close along with some of the other symbolic items from the ceremony too, the annointing screen was beautiful.

at the end of the tour you exit the Palace to the garden

this is where they hold the annual Garden Parties that you'll have seen photos from (especially if you live in the UK)

the outside of the back of the Palace.

had to be done!

this is the lawn where they hold the Garden Parties

strictly off limits!

you don't get to see a lot of the gardens - I imagine there are some formal bits - but you walk round the edge of the lawn past the lake towards the exit

a gift shop (of course!) discretely tucked away at the side of the big lawn

I bought several souvenirs which I'll show later

you can't walk off the path up to the edge of the lake, but it looked very pretty (and big)

there were several benches for visitors to rest on their way out, I eventually found one that wasn't occupied

this link tells you about the gardens

and this one about the State Rooms

every now and then you get a glimpse of the back of the Palace

there were some flowers left round the path, but maybe September isn't their best time.

The Palace is only open between July and September

my souvenirs - there was loads of things in the shop as you can imagine.

I bought a (reduced) copy of the official Coronation programme from 6 May, a beautiful book which has lots of photos from the Coronation and you may be able to see, tells the story of the days from King Charles accession to the coronation. I wish I could show you inside..

and a set of postcards of the state rooms.

finally I couldn't resist this cute little tub of "handbag shortbread" - an official coronation souvenir. Bought it for the tube as much as the shortbread.

closer look at the postcards

then it was back out from the shade of the garden to the hustle of London...

signposts

the Palace is obviously enclosed by a big wall

and metal railings all round it's 39 acres, they don't encourage casual callers!!

back at the Palace

I wasn't sure what to do next, it seemed a bit early to head home

so headed round the formal planting

the path I was walking along is where the Press tents go when momentous stories happen...

not sure if you'll be able to zoom in enough to read this!

and headed back along the Mall, all the way this time, to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square...

I was starting to regret this halfway along as it had got hot and I was tiring...still, no buses along the Mall so had to keep going!

gaps in traffic allow you to take photos in each direction

last time I was in Trafalgar Square when I went to the newly re-opened National Gallery, they were hosting a baseball game and it was full of a fan park

today it was full of tourists.

there were signs saying no entry to the pool round the fountains

but they were brimful of water - too tempting - it was deliciously cold and some (French I think) boys were splashing one another - not seeing me behind them.

one of them apologised "madame"