The famous balcony of Buckingham Palace in London is now open to the public

It is probably the most famous balcony in the world: the one where the kings and queens of the British Crown appear to greet the crowds during public events. Since Monday, July 15, the doors of Buckingham Palace, in London, have been open to the public for the traditional summer tours, until September. But this year, in addition to the East Wing, the tour allows you to discover 19 additional rooms used by the royal family for its official receptions, including the one that gives access to the famous balcony.

Clearly visible from outside Buckingham Palace, the room overlooking this balcony will now be open to the public for a few weeks each year. This is the wish of King Charles III. “It was Prince Albert who actually suggested designing this balconyexplains one of the Palace’s curators, Nicola Turner Inman. It was first used in 1851 to greet the troops leaving for the Crimean War. It has therefore been in use for a very long time.”

It took five years to renovate the East Wing of Buckingham Palace, allowing visitors to walk the red-carpeted central corridor, or admire the imposing gilded chandeliers and portraits of Queen Victoria. As she leaves, this French tourist is simply captivated: “It was beautiful, a very beautiful visit. We saw the reception rooms, the ballroom, the music room. Everything was beautiful, it shines everywhere.”

But the British themselves are admiring, like this visitor: “It’s opulent, grand and glittering… It was just beautiful.” The 85 euros to pay for this 45-minute tour did not discourage visitors. The 6,000 tickets available for the tour were sold out in less than 24 hours. The doors of Buckingham Palace are open to the public until September 29.