Buckingham Palace and the Coronation of King Charles

On Saturday 6^th May 2023, millions of people around the world will be watching the Coronation of King Charles III. While the ceremony itself will be performed at Westminster Abbey, our new monarch will at some point return to Buckingham Palace where he and the Royal Family will step out onto that world-famous balcony.

While we wonder what this new ‘Carolean era’ may bring, Abode wanted to look back at the fascinating history of Buckingham Palace – one of the finest and most interesting Grade I listed buildings in the UK.

In case you were wondering, the Carolean era refers to the reign of Charles II and not the Caroline era which refers to the reign of his father Charles I. The phrase has now come into use again relating to the accession of King Charles III.

Here are some interesting facts about the historic, listed building of Buckingham Palace that you may not know!

1. Buckingham Palace only became the official royal residence in 1837 – before this it was St James’ Palace, where some members of the Royal Family still live.
2. The land, however, has been in the possession of the British monarchy for more than 400 years, with King James I acquiring it initially as an extensive garden with the hope that he would grow silk using silkworms on the site.
3. The original house built there was sold and resold until in 1698 it came into the possession of John Sheffield – later the Duke of Buckinghamshire. He commissioned a new structure called “Buckingham House” (that’s where the current Buck House nickname comes from) which was finally completed in 1705.
4. Jumping forward in time to 1761, King George III purchased the property from the Sheffield family, commissioning a further new structure for what was then the huge sum of £73,000 (which equates to almost £14 million in today’s money).
5. It was George IV who decided he would transform this into an official royal residence, rather than just the preferred home for his partner and children.
6. The elderly monarch commissioned renowned architect John Nash to expand the existing residence into a U-shaped palace, adding wings, branches, and the triumphal arch featuring recent military successes.
7. While this is the point in the building’s history when it transformed from a big palace to an architectural masterpiece costing £400,000 (£13 million today) for the taxpayer, it was all a bit stagnant for a while. When King William IV took the reins in 1830, he sacked Nash on the grounds that he preferred living in Clarence House.
8. Once Queen Victoria was crowned just a few years later in 1837, she took up residence back in Buckingham Palace, demanding that it was fit for purpose when entertaining foreign dignitaries. Edward Blore was given the job of designing the impressive staterooms and ballrooms, while the triumphal arc was relocated to Hyde Park.
9. While Edward VII oversaw an internal redesign during his reign, what we see today on the magnificent Grade I listed building is what has been in place since the late Georgian era.
10. Buckingham Palace is in total 830,000 sq. ft. At the last count there were 775 rooms, 19 of which are state rooms. There are also 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

While not every listed building can boast such an illustrious history (or quite so many rooms), at Abode we care about protecting all aspects of your listed property or heritage building. Find out more about what Abode can do for you and your property by getting in touch and having a chat with one of our expert and friendly team.