For more than 170 years, it has been the focus of royal celebrations, where generations have gathered for weddings, coronations and birthdays, as well as to commemorate the ends of two world wars.
From Queen Victoria stepping out to wave to her subjects in 1851 to Charles III’s first appearance there as monarch after his coronation last year, Buckingham Palace’s balcony has long been a centrepiece for the royal family’s unique brand of pomp and ceremony.
Now, with the public about to be given unprecedented access to the East Wing – the front façade that includes the famous balcony overlooking The Mall – after five years of renovations, hello! looks back on the rich history of a landmark we have previously only been able to admire from afar.
During July and August, the East Wing will open to tourists for guided tours to the spectacular rooms on the Principal Floor, furnished with items from the royal collection.
Although visitors will not be permitted to stand on the balcony itself, they will be able to wander around the Centre Room, which lies directly behind it.
The balcony is a symbol of the royal family’s unique brand
Nicknamed the “royal waiting room”, it has played host to countless family members, as well as two Prime Ministers – Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain – and foreign royals as they prepared for their big balcony moments.
Ornately furnished and decorated with 18thcentury wall hangings presented to Queen Victoria by the Chinese emperor to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the room features a newly restored glass chandelier in the shape of a lotus flower.
The Centre Room was also the setting for an official portrait to mark Elizabeth II’s six decades on the throne in 2012, when she was photographed with the balcony behind her.
It was Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert who asked architect Edward Blore to add a balcony when the East Wing was created. Victoria was the f
