The day I went to Buckingham Palace

This weekend I got to do something I never thought I would.

I got to visit the state rooms at Buckingham Palace and not only that we also got to see the very special diamond collection, which is on offer as it is the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.

In the Diamond exhibition we saw the small crown worn by Queen Victoria when she was in mourning of Prince Albert (as seen on this Wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_victoria) and was also won by Queen Alexandra the consort of King Edward VII - Queen Victoria's son and successor.

Also the crown and necklace Her Majesty the Queen wore on her coronation and more recently in the official photo for her Diamond Jubilee.

And seven pieces created by the Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough gem-quality diamond. All the diamonds were exquisite, the clarity and colour were beautiful and they just sparkled like stars in the sky, amazing! Diamonds truly are the Queen’s best friend.

The state rooms were just as magnificent, you see the throne room where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had their wedding photo and more recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had their photos taken. It was just amazing to walk where heads of state such as President Obama and other Royals have walked. To see where the Queen lives and works.

The rooms were huge and the decoration over the top. My favourite room was the ballroom, created for Queen Victoria to host social gatherings. It is the largest room in London and has four chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, they are five foot in diameter and I think they said about 11 foot high; they work on a winch and are cleaned once a year. It also has an organ from the Brighton Pavilion; it was a truly regal room.

All the paintings around the state rooms are amazing. My favourite was the family portrait of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children by Winterhalter it is stunning and shows the family in a fairly informal setting but still she looks like a Queen, mother and wife.

You are not allowed to take photos on the tour but you can in the garden.

The state rooms are just amazing, I cannot recommend them enough.

Also if you buy your tickets through the palace you can get your ticket stamped and return for free within the next 12 months, how fantastic is that! Well with the £18 entrance fee.

I will say though that the cafe is quite expensive over £2 for a tea, but the cakes did look amazing aand I do wish I had had one.

If you go in August or September don’t expect to see the Queen as she holidays in Balmoral.

If you are interested in the tour visit: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/buckinghampalace

All hail the Queen... right?

Recently I read a piece in April's Company magazine about the Royal Family and if they were still relevant and if Miss Kate Middleton made their appeal go up at all, and it got me thinking, especially as the Royal Wedding is not far away.


I will admit outright now I am a Royalist and not just with our own Royal Family, who cannot love the Monaco Royal Family or the story of Princess Grace Kelly. I am a huge fan.


Last year I went to Stockholm with my boyfriend (it was out second time there, he was doing the marathon again) and I became a little obsessed as when we visited the city it was a hive of activity and was holding various street parties and free events celebrating the HRH Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to her fitness instructor Daniel. It was a fairytale romance much like that of Wills and Kate but the way they celebrated it was to hold free music events and street festivals for the week before the wedding, it was fantastic. This Royal Family seem very normal both the King and Princess Victoria married I suppose the term is 'commoners', also the fact that H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip is very good looking also makes this Royal Family appealing to me.... http://www.royalcourt.se/royalcourt/royalfamily/hrhprincecarlphilip.4.396160511584257f218000245.html


I love the romanticism linked to a Royal Family, it makes you think of Disney Princesses and fairy tale romances. The idea that a chance meeting could lead to a normal girl becoming a Princess, and although she may talk posh and went to posh schools that is what Kate Middleton is... a normal girl. She doesn't have a family tree filled with Lords and Ladies, Kings and Queens. Although I did see on an American programme that apparently she is somehow related to chat show host Ellen and one of the men that discovered American. The Americans seem more obsessed with our Royal Family than we are, trying desperately to have a little piece. I suppose this is due to the fact they don't have an equivalent, in the past they have tried to make their presidents into Kings and Queens, most notable the Kennedy's, although I'm sure their spin-doctors had much more to do with that than the American public.


During my journalism course we briefly studied the monarchy and the powers they have in Public Affairs, and the truth is they don't have much. The Queen's most important power I would say is to advise, warn and encourage, she does this in weekly meetings with the Prime Minister, it is believed that as she has been Queen for so long she has more knowledge than a newly elected PM, which I think is true. However, it does beg the question if William becomes King how much does he know to advise, warn and encourage.


I love the fact we have a Royal Family, I think it is integral to Britain. I think it adds to our tourism factor, many people probably visit the country to see the palaces and possible the Royal Family. Also the Queen acts a figurehead for the country and goes to visit foreign countries on behalf of the country, do we really want our politicians to do that instead? Surely they have more pressing things to do then flitting off around the world.


I think it would be a sad shame if we didn't have a Royal Family. It is just very British! People say it is outdated and is a glaring sign that the country is still divided by class boundaries, but then think the Government doesn't do this? Cameron is man of the people is he? I think people will be more accepting of the Royal Family when we have Prince William and Princess Catherine. Or King William and Queen Catherine, both of them seem very normal and have more of a connection to us normal people so who knows people may change their opinion when this happens.


The Royal Family may not do a lot that we know of but I love that we have one! I am a Royalist and think it would be a shame if they were ever to go, most of our history is entwined with the fact we have a Royal Family, Americans love we have one and know more than we do probably. I wish in schools children learnt a more varied and extensive history of our Royal Family, like the US do with Presidents rather then the Tudors, yes they were important but what about Queen Victoria, or King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson, or even more about House of Windsor including out current Royal Family.


We should cherish our Royal Family and sing at the top of our voices God Save the Queen.