Introduction
The purpose of this walk is twofold: 1) to introduce you to that segment of London associated with the administration of the UK, government and royalty, and 2) to help you understand the roots of British pride through exposure to memorials of her past, especially those years associated with the British Empire. Geographically, this walk fits between Westminster and the theatre district. Britain began to emerge as a sovereign nation during the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII was largely responsible for the rise of Britain as a respected international power and for the breaking of bonds with Catholic Europe and their subjugation to the Roman Catholic church. Henry is also credited with the beginnings of the development of London as a showplace worthy of note throughout the Western world. In the process, he also left the country almost financially destitute due to his profligate spending and wars. It was left to his daughter Elizabeth I to bring back monetary stability to the nation. Elizabeth, through the destruction of Spanish naval power (in the defeat of the Spanish Armada) and world exploration (and exploitation) also established the roots of the emerging British Empire. With the death of Elizabeth I in 1605, the Tudor dynasty came to an end, as all eyes turned northward, where the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, James VI, was on the throne of Scotland. James became James I of England—the beginning of the Stuart dynasty. During that dynasty, which ran through most of the seventeenth century, many changes were effected in London. In that century of civil war, two monarchs were forcibly removed from their throne, London was ravaged by plague and by fire, and a powerful city rose like the legendary phoenix from the ashes.During these two dynasties, a major architectural feat was attempted in the Westminster area of London. Had the Tudor and early Stuart monarchies had their way, London today might have had a segment as regal as Versailles in France. Whitehall Palace (originally York Palace), which no longer exists, was the dream child of Henry VIII, after Thomas Wolsey, the Archbishop of York (the original owner of York Palace) fell from Henry’s favor in 1529. After a fire at Westminster Palace forced Henry to look elsewhere for lodgings, he confiscated Wolsey’s property, enlarged it, and created the new Whitehall Palace on an axis parallel to the Thames, complete with all the accoutrements of a fine palace of the day: gardens, orchards, tennis courts, a bowling alley, and a proper tiltyard. In its day, it was the largest palace complex in Europe. The grounds stretched along the Thames for half a mile, and were tethered to the river by steps leading from the courtyard. The newly-named Whitehall Palace continued to grow throughout Tudor times, and by the reign of James I (the first Stuart king), it continued to expand, containing around two thousand rooms and covering more than twenty acres. James I was responsible for the commissioning of Inigo Jones to create the Banqueting House (on the site of the original York Palace) in the new Renaissance style, the first London structure to be so designed. Unfortunately, almost all of it fell victim to a major fire (begun ostensibly by a laundry maid carelessly drying clothes in front of an open fire) in 1698, over a century and a half after its inception and implementation.Henry VIII is also responsible for the beginnings of St. James’s Palace, which he had built from scratch on grounds that formerly had been an eleventh-century hospital for women lepers (“14 maidens” lived here). After St. James’s, named after St. James the lesser—the patron saint of lepers— was purchased, the lepers were transferred elsewhere by the king. It is still officially the royal residence, as ambassadors from America, for example, are appointed to the Court of St. James. This palace was built during the time Whitehall was also being constructed, but was secondary in importance to the larger residence.Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when William and Mary were brought to the throne from the continent, Whitehall Palace was largely abandoned, as William’s asthma forced him to seek quarters farther from the Thames, leading to the eventual purchase of Kensington Palace. There the monarchy established their residency until the time of George II, the last monarch to live in Kensington. Ten years after the ascendency of William and Mary, Whitehall Palace burned to the ground.Because of an unhappy childhood in Kensington, Victoria moved the royal residence from there to Buckingham Palace, the current home of the monarchy. Buckingham, built originally in the first decade of the eighteenth century for the duke of Buckingham, was purchased by George III (who disliked St. James’ Palace) for use as a private residence. His son, George IV, had it transformed into a palace. Victoria, who really loved Buckingham Palace, had it remodeled, including the plumbing that still leaked, and made it her London residence. St. James’s Park adjacent to Buckingham is the oldest of the London parks. It was originally purchased and drained by Henry VIII so that he could use it for hunting purposes. Charles II, also made significant changes to St. James’s Park upon his return from exile in France at the time of the Restoration, and used it as a strolling ground for himself and his mistresses. He is also known to have taken an occasional dip in the canal. By the eighteenth century, like so many other parks, it had become a seedbed of prostitution. In 1828, it was landscaped by the famous architect, John Nash (1752–1835), who did many works for the Prince Regent and then king, George IV. St. James' became a model for future development in the London parks. The lake, complete with a major scenic bridge, is a favorite for picnicking in London.
#1 Start: Westminster Tube Station to Victoria Embankment
We will come into this area by a back door, in order to see more of the Victorian Embankment that we didn’t visit before. Therefore, start by exiting at the Westminster tube station. While facing the Thames, make your way to the left along the Victorian Embankment.Note the London Eye and the Aquarium across the Thames. The Victoria Embankment statuary you see as you move along, as most of the statuary you will see today, depicts the military and colonization campaigns of the last two hundred years. Many of these individuals (as many of the military battles) will be unfamiliar to you, but, to many of the British, these events are as familiar as the American Revolution and the Civil War in America are to you. If nothing more, you should become aware of the sense of pride the British have in their past as one of the world’s leading military and colonizing forces (and, obviously, the former was crucial to the latter). For example, the first monument honors the Chindit Special Forces who led the campaigns into Burma in the 1840s, which may mean little or nothing to you. However, British Special Forces are still a major source of British pride, and this branch of the forces is no exception. Often, on the monuments, slogans or sayings leave behind a message of their own; as you can see this one is inscribed “The Boldest Measures are the Safest.” You may agree or disagree, but the statement certainly begs a moment of consideration.The statue of General Charles G. Gordon, three statues away (after those of Air Marshall Lord Trenchard and Lord Portal, who were responsible, in turn, for the founding of the Royal Air Force, and for being in charge of this branch of the British forces during World War II) again may be that of a stranger to you, but the fact that he was slain at Khartoum speaks volumes to anyone knowledgeable in British military history. This city in the Sudan was the headquarters of British involvement in the northeastern portion of Africa in the nineteenth century, and the center of British activity in support of the Turko–Egyptian war against Arabic might. Ironically, in the next century the situation was reversed as Lawrence of Arabia led the Arabs against the Turks during World War I. Note the saying on this statue: “Right Fears no Might”—an appropriate slogan for Victorian England.It is fitting perhaps that the buildings of the Ministry of Defense provide the backdrop for these and for the statues on the other side of Horse Guards Avenue (ahead of you): Major General Orde C. Wingate (Commander of Special Forces in India, responsible for thwarting the Japanese invasion of Burma in World War II), and General Sir James Outram (a British hero during the “Indian Mutiny” of the nineteenth century).The exceptions to these military heroes are the two non-military figures, one on each side of the avenue: on the near side, Sir Henry Bartle Frere (who is honored for his enlightened administration as high commissioner in British South Africa during the time of the Boer War), and on the far side, William Tyndale, a major figure in the British Reformation, who began the translation of the Bible into the vernacular of the people, smuggling it into England page by page. When his efforts were discovered, he was forced to flee to the continent where he lived in Germany and Antwerp until he also became a martyr. Note especially the books and printing press that form such an important part of the statue and remind us of the nature of his contribution. All of these people are outstanding individuals who still serve as models for the British in the current age of fewer heroes.
#2 Northumberland Avenue to Trafalgar Square to Whitehall
When you come to Northumberland Avenue, you are just across the road from where you finished the last walk. Turn left and proceed up the avenue until you reach Trafalgar Square. (In the last walk, you came in the other side of the square.) Turn left at Whitehall (the statue of Charles I is positioned at the top of this road), and move along Whitehall until you come to the Banqueting Hall, on your left.Note the tower of Big Ben in the distance; it will help you to orient yourself relative to Parliament. Looking down Whitehall, you are looking at the area of London that Henry VIII wanted to convert into his court. Whitehall, formerly known as King Street (and its continuance as Parliament Street), was the major axis cutting through grounds that stretched from Charing Cross on the north to Westminster on the south. Its eastern boundary was the Thames and its western boundary St. James’s Park. (Note on a map that Whitehall parallels the Thames, and that in this area, the Thames is east of you, rather than south, as it has been earlier.)As you make your way through the Whitehall area, you will soon realize that this is still a major center of the executive branches of the government, just as Westminster is the seat of the legislative. (Whitehall is the English equivalent of Pennsylvania Avenue or Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.) Whitehall includes the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defense, the Treasury, and the Parliamentary Counsel Offices. You might try to reconstruct this area as it was in Henry’s time in your mind. This territory contained the palace and grounds of the Archbishop of York (Cardinal Thomas Wolsey) and a Scottish royal palace. Wolsey’s properties were seized by Henry VIII and became the core of the king’s new building project. Once several magnificent red Tudor buildings, housing two thousand rooms, resided on these grounds, but all of that was destroyed by fire in 1698. The Scottish palace also became a thing of the past in Henry’s grandiose design for his palace grounds, and the streets where it had formerly existed became known as Scotland Yard (Little and Great). In 1829, when the Metropolitan Police were formed, they were given an office here, where they remained through much of the Victorian era—they moved to the embankment in 1890, and then to Victoria Street, west of the abbey, in 1967. As a consequence of their initial setting, the term Scotland Yard became synonymous with the London Metropolitan Police.Observe all of the older buildings as you make your way down Whitehall, but pay special attention to the Banqueting Hall as it comes up on your left. It is all that is left of the original grand design after the fire of 1698. Built during the Stuart era, it is still an interesting structure. Designed in 1619 by Inigo Jones (who was England’s most acclaimed architect of the first half of the 1600s—just as Wren was in the second half), it features a mural-covered ceiling by Rubens, who was knighted for the venture. The nine allegorical paintings, commissioned by Charles I to honor the memory of his father, James I, and depict, among other things, an apotheosis of James: James enthroned between peace and plenty, an allegory of the birth and coronation of James, scenes associated with the union of Scotland and England, and James’s role as a patron of the arts. During World War II, they were removed to preserve them during the bombing and reattached in 1946 after the war. The hall (used primarily for receptions, banquets, masques, etc.) is rather austere. The walls that were formerly hung with tapestry are now bare.The same Charles I who sits so magnificently astride the horse at the top of Whitehall stepped from a window in the upper gallery of this building out onto a scaffolding and his public execution in 1649. Later, his son Charles II received the Lords and Commons on the night before the crown was restored to the Stuart family in 1660. It was here also that the throne was formally offered to William III and Mary II when James II fled the country in the Glorious Revolution of 1689. Every year, on the last Sunday of January, a Charles I Commemoration procession (often in costume) leaves from St. James’ Palace and makes its way to the Banqueting Hall.
#3 Banqueting Hall to Horse Guards
Leave the Banqueting Hall, and go across the road to inspect the famous Horse Guards, who have occupied that position of trust for over two hundred years.When Henry VIII was alive, this was the location of the palace tennis courts, bear baiting, and cock fighting. The Horse Guards, who are probably one of the most photographed features of London, are posted every day at 11:00 a.m. (except Sunday when they are posted at 10:00 a.m.). At 4:00 p.m., there is a formal inspection of the guards dismounted. Both events are free to the public. There are two branches of the Household Cavalry. If the guards are wearing scarlet tunics and white-plumed helmets, they are from the Life Guards; if they are dressed in blue with red plumes, they are from the Royal Horse Guards.
#4 Continue Down Whitehall
Continue making your way down WhitehallAs you leave the Household Cavalry, note the Welsh Office (Gwydyr House) across the road to your left and the Scottish Office (Dover House) to your right. Farther down the road (on your right) is #10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister—Britain’s equivalent of the White House in Washington, D.C. Downing Street was constructed in 1683 and named after Sir George Downing, the second graduate of Harvard in 1642. Number 10 became the property of the Crown in 1732 and was given by George II to Sir Robert Walpole, then First Lord of the Treasury. Since then it has been used (though not lived in) by every Prime Minister. You will not be able to go down the street, but must look through the protective wrought-iron gates (courtesy of the “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher, whose idea it was when she was the Prime Minister to curtail public access from the site for security purposes). Recent terrorist activity has made it necessary to escalate the security.Notice the statues of famous war veterans from Britain’s past all along Whitehall. Viscount Alanbrooke and Viscount Montgomery (a viscount fits into the peerage just below a duke, a marquis, and an earl—and above a baron) are famous veterans of World War II. The statue of Sir Walter Raleigh is here some distance from where he was beheaded in the yard of Westminster Palace. Raleigh was a famous explorer, courtier, and poet—a good example of a “Renaissance” man. However, the real center of attraction on this street is the Cenotaph, set in the middle of the road in 1919 as a commemorative monument to honor all of the veterans of past wars, with an emphasis on those of World War I (the “Great War,” as it is called in Britain). Every year in November, on the Sunday closest to Memorial Day, the Queen comes to lay a wreath on the monument. Before she does, however, groups of veterans march to the Cenotaph to place their own collective memorial wreaths. There are few parades in London that I find more moving.
#5 Great George Street
When you arrive at the intersection across from Parliament, turn right at the Treasury Building onto Great George Street. (During the walk to the abbey, you were on the other side of the small park, Parliament Square, that is now on your left.) Stop short of St. James’ Park, and turn right onto Horse Guards Road, with the park on your left.On your right, up a flight of stairs, is the statue of Major General (Baron) Robert Clive (a baron being another step down from a viscount), who should serve to remind us of the importance of perseverance. At the age of eighteen, Clive became so despondent that he tried to commit suicide. When his revolver failed to fire twice, he took it as an omen that he had a role to play in the world. That role was performed largely in India, where he became one of the most important British officers of the 1700s. You may have heard of “the black hole of Calcutta,” which derives from an occasion in Calcutta, India, when 146 British prisoners were forced into a room measuring eighteen square feet on the night of 20 June 1756. By morning, 123 of them had died, leaving only twenty-three survivors. (However, modern scholarship has challenged the statistics in the story.) Clive was the one sent to avenge this atrocity and to reestablish British control in the area and was successful in his venture. However, after two successful stints in India, he was forced back to London for health reasons. There, he became discouraged by the disapproval of his critics and began dosing himself heavily with opium. Evidence points to his escaping his addiction by a final overdose.Behind Clive are the famous Cabinet War Rooms, the nerve center of the Allied Forces during World War II, from which the activities of the war were directed (although Churchill also used a building to the side of Admiralty Arch for some administrative functions). In this area, he watched the nightly air raids from the streets and rested sometimes at the Savoy Hotel. From the War Rooms, direct telephone connection with the White House in Washington was maintained, and from here, Churchill gave his famous wartime speeches to rally his people. This underground accommodation provided shelter from air attacks and has been maintained in tribute to its earlier functions. Admission is still possible, and you may want to visit the War Rooms on another day.The arches at the other end of King Charles Street are the location where King Charles Street connects with Whitehall. Farther down Horse Guard Road, on your right, is Horse Guards Parade. Initially, it was a jousting field for Whitehall Palace (you probably could pull up a joust or two in your imagination since this would still be an ideal setting); now it is the backside to the arch where the Horse Guards (visited earlier) are stationed. It's also the place where the Trooping the Colour is held. This Royal Salute of the guards is given yearly as a tribute to the monarch on the occasion of the monarch’s official birthday, the second Saturday in June—as opposed to the actual birthday of each monarch. This is unquestionably one of the most impressive of the nation’s military pageantry to view, if you are fortunate enough to be in London at that time. A full dress rehearsal is held the Saturday before, with some other dignitary sitting in for the monarchy. You may wish to visit this rehearsal and then watch the pageantry the following week on the television, where you will hear commentary and see much more detail than when you go in person.Before entering Horse Guards Parade, however, stop to pay homage in the little park surrounding the statue of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who during the Second World War was first the Admiral of the Fleet, and later the Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia. His other official duties are too numerous to list here. His royal connections are impeccable: Queen Victoria was his godmother, HRH Prince Philip (Elizabeth II’s Prince Consort) is his nephew, and his aunt was the wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. He was related to several other European monarchs. Suffice it to say that he is one of the most honored of Britain’s heroes, and rightly deserves a special viewing place for the Trooping of the Colors. Ahead of Mountbatten and to the side of the parade is a statue of Horatio Herbert, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum. Kitchener was the one who successfully commanded the Egyptian forces who won back the Sudan for Egypt after the earlier defeat of Gordon at Khartoum. Kitchener later went on to fame in the Boer War at the turn of the century (the result of which was to gain a Viscountcy, a cash award, and appointment as Commander-in-Chief in India.) At the beginning of World War I, he was appointed Secretary of War for the British government, and after reorganizing the army, became a war casualty himself in 1916.To the far (north) side of the parade is another of London’s grand old buildings, the Old Admiralty Building—it’s worth a second (and a third) look. On the east side of the parade, the arches form a wonderful backdrop for the ceremony, especially with the two large equestrian statues: Viscount Wolseley on the left, honored for his services in the Crimean War (1854–56), the Ashanti War (1873–74), the Zulu War (1879–80), the Egyptian campaign of 1882, and the Nile expedition (1884–85); and Frederick Roberts, Earl of Kandahar, Pretoria, and Waterford on the right, honored for his service in the second Boer War, the Indian mutiny of 1858, the Afghan War (1878–80), as commander in chief of the Madras army (1881–85), his involvement in India (1885–93), and in South Africa (1899–1900). I have listed all of these campaigns simply to suggest some of the scope of involvement in the world that was part of the empire that became the British Commonwealth. Between these two officers and their service, one senses a long tradition of the British military in the world’s affairs.Across the street, on the St. James’ Park side, is the Guard's Memorial to the troops who died as a consequence of the First World War, with an addendum for the Second, a fitting backdrop for the annual Trooping of the Colors. If you were to examine this memorial carefully, you will find shrapnel scars from the air assaults of World War II, indicating again another center of Germany bombing. The British Armed Forces today, while considerably smaller than their counterpart American Forces, remain an exceptionally well trained, highly disciplined, and effective military force, with very proud traditions and regimental loyalties.
#6 Horse Guards Avenue to Admiralty Arch
As you come near the end of Horse Guards Avenue, you will see a building that appears to be a major block of concrete to your left, and an ivy covered wall to your right. Go between the two. When you get to the end of Horse Guards Road (different from Horse Guards Avenue), turn right and move toward Admiralty Arch.Note the statue of Captain James Cook to your right; yet another reminder of the outreach of the British Commonwealth. Cook was a British explorer of the Pacific and Antarctic regions, including such exotic faraway places as Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia, during the middle half of the eighteenth century. He is also responsible for the introduction of a diet high in Vitamin C, used to prevent scurvy among the British sailors. Cook was killed by the natives of Hawaii on his third major voyage to that area of the world.Admiralty Arch was created in the first part of the twentieth century as part of a ceremonial route to Buckingham Palace. It was named for the Admiralty Buildings (the headquarters of the Royal Navy), that are adjacent to it on the southwest corner. As you move toward the arch, about midway down that road, you should be able to see Lord Nelson’s column to your right and the Duke of York’s column (monument) to your left, and this is a good point from which to compare the two. The arch is the entrance way to the Mall (pronounced like “gal”), which leads to Buckingham, hence the red (carpet) color of the roadway. Although traffic now passes regularly through the two arches to the sides of Admiralty Arch, originally no one except the monarch could use the central archway.
#7 Duke of York's Monument
After viewing the arch close up and noting the monument for Charles I, from where you began this part of the walk, turn around, and return to the stairs leading to the Duke of York’s monument. You will have to cross over the mall to get to the stairs. Before you do, however, note the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), which you can visit for a fee. Go up the stairs toward the monument.The Duke of York, Fredrick William (1763-1827), was Commander in Chief of the British Army from 1795–1827 and the second son of King George III. The statue was designed in 1834 by Sir Richard Westmacott; the 124 ft. column by Benjamin Wyatt. It cost £21,000 and much of the money was donated by soldiers who gave up a day's pay.Notice the grandeur of the buildings along the Mall on both sides of the stairs; they unitedly constitute the famous Carlton House Terrace. The original Carlton House, which formerly occupied the same space, was built in 1709, and, in 1783, the Prince of Wales (a.k.a. the Regent) established his residence here. In its time, it became the most gorgeous mansion in London. Unfortunately, the house was demolished in 1829, four years after George IV had abandoned the building, and a major plan to link it with Regent’s Park in the north was never completed. The terrace now contains the Foreign Press Association, the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal Society, the Turf Club, and the Association of Societies of Art and Design, including the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
#8 Carlton House Terrace
At the top of the stairs, take time to walk to the end of the Carlton House Terrace on your left.At the end of the terrace, you can find a monument to Charles de Gaulle to your right. Notice the plaque on the building to your left which commemorates the fact that this is where de Gaulle set up the headquarters for the Free French Forces, a government in exile, during World War II.
#9 Pall Mall Street
Return to the monument for the Duke of York, and, with your back to the Mall, walk through this square until you come to Pall Mall street.Focus on the square in front of you, beginning at this end with a monument dedicated to the memory of the Duke of York. This statue stands at the beginning of Waterloo Place, which connects the Mall to Pall Mall that you met in an earlier walk.Waterloo Place is one of the finest self-contained units in London for its planning. Flanked on the near end by the Duke of York memorial and on the far end by a monument honoring the soldiers of the Crimean War (a conflict that lasted from 1854–56, involving Russia on one side and Britain, France, Turkey, and the Piedmont on the other), with a statue of Florence Nightingale (the nurse who became known as “the lady of the lamp” for her involvement at all hours of the day and night, caring for the wounded of that war), side by side with a statue of Sidney, Lord Herbert of Lea (the Secretary of War during that campaign). Between the Duke of York’s column and the monument to the Crimean War, in the center of the road, astride his horse, is another equestrian: Edward VII, the son and successor of Victoria.On the sides of the square are statues honoring other areas of British exploration: those of Captain Falcon Scott and Sir John Franklin. Scott, a captain in the Royal Navy, died in 1912 with four companions returning from the South Pole. His journal records this trenchant entry as a finale: “Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale.” To add one further poignant note, the statue is the work of his widow, Lady Scott. Franklin, who was also a professional naval man, explored the opposite end of the world (the Arctic), and died with all his crew in his attempt to find the Northwest Passage, the ice-free Arctic sea route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific.At the end of Waterloo Place, where it joins with Pall Mall, look to your right. You should recognize the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square from a previous walk. Then look carefully at the two buildings on the corners to your right and left. These are two of the most famous exclusive men’s clubs of London. The one to your left (as you come through Waterloo Place) is the Athenaeum, founded in 1823 as a club for “scientific and literary men and artists” by Sir Humphry Davy (President of the Royal Society), Thomas Lawrence (President of the Royal Academy), and Lord Aberdeen (then Prime Minister). This is still the most elite club for academicians and politicians. Most of the Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers, archbishops, and bishops have belonged to this club. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, and other famous artists and writers have belonged. The public isn’t allowed in and women are currently barred from membership, but you get some idea of the inner grandeur by looking at the outer grandeur of the architecture (the paintings on the ceilings inside can be seen from the road at night if the lights are on). Note the blue-colored terra cotta replica of the Parthenon frieze on this building (and the one across the road), and the gilded statue of Athena above the entrance.The matching building across the street is the former United Service and Royal Aero Club (now the headquarters of the Institute of Directors; the Royal Academy of Arts originated on a part of this site in 1768). Founded in 1815, this was the earliest service club in London and was a favorite of the Duke of Wellington. Both of these buildings became part of an elaborate scheme on the part of John Nash to create a street linking the Carlton House behind you to Regent’s Park. In the Regent’s Park walk you may see some of the same colored friezes adjacent to the park.
#10 Pall Mall to St. James's Palace
Turn left and move along Pall Mall until you come to St. James’s Palace on your left.The red brick of St. James's Palace is a give-away dating it back to Tudor times. Mary I (better known perhaps as “Bloody Mary”) died here, and most of Charles I’s children were born here, as was Mary II and Queen Anne, daughters of James II. This was also the birthplace of the Regent (George IV). Charles I was living here when he was taken to his execution. That is why the Charles I Commemoration march begins here and ends in the Banqueting Hall. When Whitehall burned down in 1698, St. James became the official residence of the monarchy. Ambassadors are still officially “Ambassadors to the Court of St. James,” and the monarch is still proclaimed from the balcony in Friary Court. It is one of the less-crowded places to watch the Changing of the Guard, which occurs here every morning at 11:00.
#11 Cleveland Row
Find Cleveland Row by the side of the palace.If it is possible to go down Cleveland Row, the first building on your left is York House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. The Stable Yard Road contains Clarence House, the long-time residence of the beloved “Queen Mum,” (the mother of Elizabeth II), who died in 2002 at the age of 102—one of the most beloved members of royalty Britain has had in recent times.
#12 The Mall to Buckingham Palace
If there is a guard blocking your entrance into Stable Yard Road, you will have to retrace your steps on Pall Mall to Marlborough Road (which is the first road on the right). Turn onto Marlborough Road and follow until it ends on The Mall. Once you are back at The Mall turn to the right and proceed along The Mall until you come to Buckingham Palace. You might want to cross the road and walk in St. James’s Park, the oldest (created in 1532) and one of the most beautifully maintained parks in London.The canal that runs through St. James's Park is the result of Charles II’s hiring the French architect, Le Nôtre, after the king’s return from exile in Paris.The French designer was responsible for attaching several ponds in the park together to form this larger body of water. Not only is the park one of the most beautiful (in terms of its multiplicity of flower gardens), but it is also something of a refuge for ducks, geese, and pelicans. These are also the work of Charles II, who established a bird aviary just outside the park where Birdcage Walk is now located.Buckingham Palace probably leads the list of “must-sees” for most tourists, since it is the London residence of the Queen. The palace was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham (hence the name) in 1703. George III purchased it for a family residence in 1762. About 1825, George IV had John Nash convert it into a palace, and since that time it has been known as Buckingham Palace. However, Victoria was the first of the monarchs to live here on a permanent basis—as evidenced by the statue of her in front—having moved from Kensington Palace at the time of her ascent to the throne. Though the palace was really run down when she first moved here, it has since had more refinements and is a passingly beautiful structure from the outside. Some of the rooms have been opened to tourists (as a money-making project after a fire at Windsor Palace in 1992 necessitated funds to refurbish that palace), and you might be interested in having a look inside at another time. The royal apartments are in the north wing (to your right), where the queen has a dozen or so suites on the ground level looking out on Green Park. When the queen is in residence, the flag flies atop the mast on the roof.You may want to witness the Changing of the Guard at the palace. From May to early August, this takes place daily at 11:30 a.m. The rest of the year it occurs every other day. There are five regiments of foot guards, identified by their plumes and buttons. The oldest regiment, the Scots Guards, who go back before the Civil War (1642) are recognized by the fact that they wear no plume and have three buttons clustered together down the front of their uniforms; the Coldstream Guards, next in seniority (1650) go back to the Interregnum, and are identified by a scarlet plume and two buttons clustered; the Grenadiers (who go back to the days of Charles II in 1665), are distinguished by their white plumes and single buttons evenly spaced; the Irish Guards (from 1900) not only sport blue plumes and buttons clustered in fours but are typically led by an Irish Wolfhound; the youngest regiment, in terms of service, the Welsh Guards (from the first years of World War I, 1915), have green and white plumes and buttons clustered in fives.The Queen’s Gallery, around to the left of Buckingham (as you face the Palace), is also one of the fine art galleries in London that tourists often overlook. Unfortunately, the monarchy, whose collection is bigger than that of the National Gallery, only puts part of it on view at a time. If you take a tour of the palace, you will be able to see a few more of the monarch’s holdings inside. You can purchase a combined ticket for the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews, where the royal coaches are kept. Some find the mews more interesting than the gallery, feeling that they get to see more. I recommend a visit to both.
#13 The End: Return to the BYU Centre
When you have finished your visit to Buckingham, you have several routes of exit:1) You can go across Green Park, and catch the tube at Green Park tube station. Unfortunately, none of the lines there go directly back to the BYU Centre. Green Park was created in 1668, and is the smallest of the parks. The river Tyburn still runs beneath it, and can be heard from the center of the park.2) You can go out through Buckingham Gate road to Buckingham Palace Road and back to Victoria Underground Station, which has the Circle Line connection. This might also be a good chance for you to examine the area around Victoria Railway/Underground Station mentioned in the Westminster walk. 3) You can go on the other side of the palace and see how it hooks up with Constitution Hill, making your way back to Wellington Arch and the tube station at Hyde Park Corner (or just walk through the park home).4) The shortest and most convenient way is to go back to St. James’s Park, and with the park on your left, find Birdcage Walk. If you want to walk through the park, simply go back on The Mall and watch for a major pathway that takes you directly across the park to Birdcage Walk. Walk along Birdcage to Great George Street. Turn left and make your way to the Westminster tube station, where you began.Birdcage Walk was named after the aviaries established by Charles II. After you walk the length of Birdcage Walk, you will have circumvented the park. On another day you ought to come back to visit its interior. As you walk along Birdcage, you will see to your right the Guard’s Bookshop and the Guard’s Museum. You will miss these if you cut through the park. If you are interested in the Royal Guards, this is unquestionably your best source of information. The Royal Military Chapel is also located in the park, to the south of Birdcage Walk. During 1944 at the height of WWII, the chapel was heavily bombed and sustained a tremendous amount of damage along with substantial human casualties—yet the six altar candles remained intact and burning. To this day, the altar candles remain constantly lit to remind all who enter that light will forever outshine darkness. The chapel is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.I hope that this journey has given you some understanding and more of a feeling of respect for the power and the glory that is Britain’s past.
