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For the first time ever, the public could get a bigger peek into the secret lives of the royal family. Buckingham Palace has announced plans to open its famous balcony rooms to us normies this summer, making it the first time regular folk will be able to look out the palace’s windows and literally see life through the eyes of the royals.
The first ever tours of the palace’s East Wing, which includes Buckingham Palace’s iconic front-facing balcony, will launch on Monday July 15 to coincide with the annual opening of the State Rooms. Until now, every summer visitors have been able to tour the back rooms and gardens of the palace. Now they will be given access to the front of the building, too.
Built in the 1840s, the East Wing is the youngest part of Bucky-P. It was added to the royal residence by Queen Victoria who wanted extra space when she moved into her new gaff after becoming Queen. Highlights of the balcony rooms include the principal corridor which houses two state portraits of King Edward VII, and the yellow drawing room, which displays two large, hexagonal, nine-tiered Chinese porcelain pagodas.
A limited number of East Wing Highlights Tours will run daily in July and August and need to be booked in addition to the standard admission ticket to the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.
East Wing Highlights Tours will go on sale on Tuesday April 9. Priority access will be given to Royal Collection Trust email subscribers for 24 hours, before remaining tickets go on general sale to the public on Wednesday April 10.
Tours of the East Wing and State Rooms cost £75. You can book online here.
Never been to Buckingham Palace? Here’s everything you need to know.
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