Ep. 172: Buckingham Palace – Top 6 Facts
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
I’m Jans your Mnemonic Man and today's episode will be on, probably the most iconic landmark of London, Buckingham Palace.
Located in Westminster, Buckingham Palace is both the residence and administrative headquarters for the British monarchy. Initially built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham it was originally known as Buckingham House. It wasn’t until 1837 that it then became the royal residence for Queen Victoria. Along the way it has been enlarged and modified by architects John Nash and Edward Blore who brought the building up to palace status.
Buckingham Palace boast 775 rooms which include bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, state rooms and royal and guest bedrooms. It also contains the King’s Gallery which houses priceless works of art from artists including Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Canaletto.
This massive building is complimented by 39 acres of surrounding landscape designed by William Townsend Aiton, who at the time, was in charge of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. His design was more naturalistic inspired by Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton. It is also worth mentioning that during the reign of George III where it was the private residence of his consort Queen Charlotte the gardens were also home to a collection of exotic animals which included an elephant and a zebra.
Buckingham Palace has played stage to some of the biggest moments in history which have included weddings, jubilees, celebrations such as VE Day, to the suffragette protest of 1914, and the bombing in the Second World War.
It is a key attraction and a symbol of national identity, with millions around the world visiting annually.
Today’s mnemonic will be on six facts about Buckingham Palace.
So, with that being said, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Summary
Buckingham Palace (UK: /ˈbʌkɪŋəm/)[1] is a royal residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom.[a][2] Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House.
During the 19th century it was enlarged by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East Front, which contains the balcony on which the royal family traditionally appears to greet crowds.
A German bomb destroyed the palace chapel during the Second World War; the King's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.
The original early-19th-century interior designs, many of which survive, include widespread use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis, on the advice of Charles Long. King Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a Belle Époque cream and gold colour scheme.
Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House. The palace has 775 rooms, and the garden is the largest private garden in London. The state rooms, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September and on some days in winter and spring.
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace]
Mnemonic
Buckingham Palace – Top 6 Facts Mnemonic – Queens Palace Bombed By Germany in War
(Picture Buckham Palace being bombed during World War II)
1. Queen Victoria was the first British Royal to live in Buckingham Palace
2. Palace has 775 rooms
3. Bombed during World War II
4. Built for the Duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield in 1703
5. Grounds are 39 acres in size
6. Woodrow Wilson was the first US President to visit
Five Fun Facts
1. Buckingham Palace was built in 1703 by English architect William Winde. It was initially called Buckingham House and was built for Duke Buckingham as a large townhouse. In 1761 King George III purchased the property as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, but it is under King George IV that the residence was then transformed into a palace.
2. Buckingham Palace is no doubt a palace and features a whopping 775 rooms. These include 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, and 19 state rooms.
Now, I actually visited Buckingham Palace just recently and I noticed that a street near Buckingham Palace had been renamed to “Prince Andrew’s Close.”
It wasn’t an honorary naming … … just a warning!
3. Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London. It boasts 325 wild plant species, 30 species of breeding birds, and over a thousand trees. Along with this it also contains a Rose Garden, a Summerhouse, a tennis court, a lake, and a helicopter pad. Three official garden parties are held each year with around 30,000 guests invited.
4. Buckingham Palace has a series of secret tunnels. It is believed that a web of secret tunnels link Buckingham Palace with Whitehall and the houses of parliament which may have been constructed during World War II to provide a route for communication cables secure from bombing.
5. During World War II Buckingham Palace survived nine German bomb attacks. The Royal Chapel, inner quadrangle, Palace gates, and the Victoria memorial were all hit. Four members of the palace were injured, one of whom later died. In a statement to the nation, the Queen exclaimed 'The children will not leave unless I do. I shall not leave unless their father does, and the King will not leave the country in any circumstances, whatsoever.'
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Three Question Quiz
Q.1. Which flag is flown when the King or Queen is in residence? Is it the Royal Standard or the Union Jack
Q.2. How often is the Changing of the Guard in the summer?
Q.3. A child by the name of Edward Jones managed to break into the palace six times stealing alcohol, the Queen’s hat, and slept in her bed. Is that true or false?
Bonus Q. What colour uniforms were chosen for the guards and for what two reasons were they chosen?
Mnemonic Recap
Buckingham Palace – Top 6 Facts Mnemonic – Queens Palace Bombed By Germany in War
(Picture Buckham Palace being bombed during World War II)
1. Queen Victoria was the first British Royal to live in Buckingham Palace
2. Palace has 775 rooms
3. Bombed during World War II
4. Built for the Duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield in 1703
5. Grounds are 39 acres in size
6. Woodrow Wilson was the first US President to visit
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. Which flag is flown when the King or Queen is in residence? Is it the Royal Standard or the Union Jack
A. The Royal Standard
Q.2. How often is the Changing of the Guard in the summer?
A. Every day
Q.3. A child by the name of Edward Jones managed to break into the palace six times stealing alcohol, the Queens hat, and also slept in her bed. Is that true or false?
A. False. He broke in three times, and stole food, Queen Victoria’s underwear, and sat on the throne
Bonus Q. What colour uniforms were chosen for the guards and for what two reasons were they chosen?
A. Red was chosen as it was one of the cheapest dyes to manufacture and in regards to military strategy one of the most difficult colours to distinguish from a distance.
Word of the Week
animadvert
[ an-uh-mad-vurt ]
verb
to comment unfavourably or critically
Example
The architect John Nash who was commissioned to transform Buckingham House into a palace was eventually sacked for overspending following animadversion from members of parliament and the public.
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
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References
https://www.london-tickets.co.uk/buckingham-palace/facts/
https://chatgpt.com/c/67726bc2-06ec-8010-b5af-8bacdbc9c77e
https://www.tootbus.com/en/london/inspiration/50-fascinating-facts-about-buckingham-palace