Buckingham Palace's iconic balcony opens to the public for the first time

For the first time, the room behind the famous balcony of Buckingham Palace will be accessible to the public, offering a rare glimpse into a significant part of royal history. This historic room, from which the royal family emerged during coronations, weddings and other major events, will be opened as part of a new tour of the palace's east wing starting next week.

For decades, the balcony has been the backdrop for many memorable moments. Winston Churchill stood there with the royal family in 1945, celebrating the end of the Second World War. In 1981, the wedding of King Charles III and Princess Diana took place here. Most recently, Prince Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales appeared on the balcony after the King's Birthday Parade.

Despite countless images of the balcony, the room behind it has remained invisible to the public. This new tour marks the first opportunity to explore it since its inception some 175 years ago. The opening of the East Wing attracted huge interest, with almost 6,000 tickets selling out within hours of their release in April.

The East Wing, built between 1847 and 1849 to accommodate Queen Victoria's growing family, was originally suggested by Prince Albert. He saw the balcony as a means of connecting the royal family with the public, a tradition that continues today.

Visitors will be guided along much of the 73-metre main corridor of the east wing, which includes the yellow drawing room and the central room beyond the balcony . These rooms reflect the tastes of King George IV in the early 19th century, who had a passion for Chinese-themed art.

Notable features of the room off the balcony include a recently restored glass chandelier resembling a lotus flower and two Chinese imperial silk draperies 18th century. These were gifts from Emperor Guangxu to Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Although visitors will not be able to go out onto the balcony, they will be able to enjoy views of the shopping center, the grand avenue leading to the palace, and see Jonathan Yeo's new portrait of King Charles, painted almost entirely in red.

This unprecedented access to the East Wing and the historic Balcony Room provides a unique opportunity to explore a part of Buckingham Palace that has long been shrouded in mystery.

Source: timesofindia