Buckingham Palace Garden

Coordinates: 51°30′06″N 0°08′54″W / 51.5018°N 0.1484°W / 51.5018; -0.1484
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Buckingham Palace Garden
Household of Charles III
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
Official nameBuckingham Palace Garden
Designated1 October 1987
Reference no.1000795
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameNorth Screen to Buckingham Palace Forecourt with Gateway to Gardens
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1273844
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameSummer House in Buckingham Palace Garden
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1239210
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameThe Waterloo Vase in Buckingham Palace Garden
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1239244
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameBuckingham Palace Boundary Walls Enclosing Grounds walls to Buckingham Palace Gardens
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1239209
Buckingham Palace Garden is located in Central London
Buckingham Palace Garden
Location of Buckingham Palace Garden in Central London

Buckingham Palace Garden is a large private park attached to the London residence of the

Queen's Gallery
, and Buckingham Palace itself to the south and east.

The royal connection to the site of the garden dates from 1609 when

George IV used John Nash to remodel the house which was renamed Buckingham Palace. Nash engaged William Townsend Aiton
to implement designs for a new garden. Aiton's work forms the basis of the garden that exists today.

Buckingham Palace Garden is the setting for monarch's annual

God Save the Queen guitar solo on top of Buckingham Palace. This concert was preceded the previous evening by a Prom at the Palace. During the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations in 2006 the garden was the scene of Children's Party at the Palace
.

The garden is Grade II* listed on the

Royal Parks of London
, Buckingham Palace Garden is not usually open to the public. However, when the palace is open during August and September, visitors have access to part of the garden, which forms the exit, via a gift shop in a marquee, at the end of the tour.

History

ornamental canal
running westward, flanked by trees

The garden at Buckingham Palace was formed from that created for the palace's predecessor, Buckingham House.

Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park.[5]

Beyond the lake is an artificial rise, called The Mound, made partly from soil that was excavated to build the lake. It was constructed to obscure the view of the

Prince Albert had a pavilion built on the mound.[5] Known as the Milton, or Comus Pavilion, it was decorated with scenes from John Milton's masque Comus, painted by some of the leading artists of the day.[a] Derelict after World War I, the pavilion was pulled down in 1928.[7]

The garden is maintained by approximately eight full-time gardeners, with two or three part-timers. The trees include

silkworms in the Mulberry Garden on the Buckingham Palace site.[5] The garden now holds the UK's national collection of mulberry trees, housing some 40 varieties.[8][9]

The garden is regularly surveyed for its

Queen's swans. A tennis court was constructed in the garden in 1919 and, in the 1930s, the future George VI played Fred Perry on the court.[10] In 2006 the garden was the site of the "Big Royal Dig" by the Time Team of archaeologists led by Tony Robinson. The results were televised, with some live streaming. Timed to help celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, this marked Time Team's 150th dig.[11]

The garden is not generally open to the public but visitors to the palace during its summer opening exit through the garden.[12] Private tours are occasionally available.[13]

Garden parties

Buckingham Palace garden party - May 2022

The garden was the setting for the Royal Garden Parties held by Queen Elizabeth II. Although earlier Royal owners had held entertainments in the garden, the tradition of large, formal, garden parties was established by Victoria, for whose

Palace of Holyroodhouse (in Scotland) each summer.[5] The Queen also gives permission for additional garden parties to be held; in 2008, parties were held for the Centenary of the Royal Charter to the British Red Cross, the Territorial Army, the Not Forgotten Association and for those attending the Lambeth Conference.[15] Some 30,000 guests attend the parties each year, which recommenced in 2022, after a two-year abeyance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16] Nominations for invitations to the garden parties are made by the Lord-lieutenants,[b] government departments, the armed forces, the Diplomatic corps and a range of charities and societies. The nominations, which are intended to acknowledge public service, are approved by the Lord Chamberlain, who then issues the invitations in the name of the Queen.[17]

Guests take tea and sandwiches in marquees erected in the garden.[c] Just prior to 4.00 p.m. the Queen and accompanying members of the Royal Family emerge from the Bow Room in the palace,[19] as a band plays the National Anthem. The royal party then process through ranks of assembled guests towards the Royal Tea Tent, greeting those previously selected for the honour.[20] A second private tea tent is reserved for diplomatic guests, while all other attendees make use of the general tent.[d][21] Two military bands alternate in playing a "continuous supply of festive music".[19]

Description

The summerhouse attributed to William Kent

The site and the trees

The garden, the largest in London, covers 17 hectares (42 acres) and contains over 1,000 trees, 325 specimens of wild plants and 35 different species of birds.[5] The largely-flat site forms a rough triangle with Buckingham Palace at the apex. The western (rear) facade opens on to a long terrace, the West Terrace, which overlooks a large lawn, known as the Main Lawn.[22] Beyond the lawn is the lake. The whole is surrounded by a wall and, internally, by a gravel path which runs around the garden's perimeter, with branches diverting around the lawns, lake and island flowerbeds.[23] The dominating species of tree is the London Plane, Platanus × acerifolia.[24] There are a large number of commemorative trees, planted to celebrate royal occasions, which continues a tradition begun by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. 24 trees within the garden are designated as "Champion Trees" on the Tree Register of the British Isles.[25]

Architectural features

The garden has a number of architectural features. Among the most notable is the

Edward VII. King Edward then solved the problem by placing the vase outside in the garden where it now remains.[26] A pair of ornamental cranes which stand by the lake were presented to Edward when on a tour of India as Prince of Wales in 1875-6.[27]

Summerhouse and statuary

The Waterloo Vase

A summerhouse stands opposite the Waterloo Vase, which was removed from the old

Coade Stone, a form of artificial stone popular in the Regency and Victorian periods.[30]

Lake, Tennis Court, Lawn and Stonework

There is also a lake and a tennis court, the latter dating from 1919. The lake is 400 feet (120 m) long and 150 feet (46 m) across

rockery.[36]

Critical views

Simon Bradley, in the 2003 revised edition of the Pevsner Buildings of England, London 6: Westminster, describes the garden at Buckingham Palace as "beautiful", noting particularly the "irregular lake and artful Picturesque planting".[28] The design of the garden has also been criticised; suggesting that, after Wise, no major designer was employed, a writer for Country Life concluded that it lacked any of the features of a truly great garden, "originality, surprise, vista, architecture, statuary, planting", although they acknowledged the garden's utility as a "helicopter landing pad".[37]

Listing designations

The garden is Grade II* listed on the

Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.[23] The Waterloo Vase and the Kent Summerhouse are Grade I listed structures.[38][39] Structures on the perimeter of the garden which are also listed at Grade I include the surrounding boundary wall;[40] the garden entrance screen to the front right of the palace,[41] the screen to the Ambassadors' Court to the left[42] and the main entrance to the Ambassadors' Court on Buckingham Palace Road;[43] the wall enclosing the royal riding school,[44] and the riding school itself;[45] the Royal Mews;[46] and two flanking lodges.[47][48] A secondary section of the mews,[49] and four lampposts in front of the riding school are listed at Grade II.[50]

Gallery

  • The lake
    The lake
  • Another view of the lake
    Another view of the lake
  • The lawns - the teahouse behind dates from 1939
    The lawns - the teahouse behind dates from 1939
  • Planting
    Planting
  • Willow tree
    Willow tree
  • A pair of ornamental cranes presented to the future Edward VII when on a tour of India as Prince of Wales
    A pair of ornamental cranes presented to the future Edward VII when on a tour of India as Prince of Wales
  • Aerial view - the garden lies behind the palace, with St James's Park to the front and Green Park to the right
    Aerial view - the garden lies behind the palace, with St James's Park to the front and Green Park to the right

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ The artists employed by Prince Albert to undertake the decoration of the Comus Pavilion were Clarkson Frederick Stanfield, Thomas Uwins, Charles Robert Leslie, William Charles Ross, Charles Lock Eastlake, Daniel Maclise, William Dyce and Edwin Landseer.[6]
  2. Lord-Lieutenants are the personal representatives of the Queen in each Lieutenancy area. These, generally but not exclusively, correspond to the traditional counties of the United Kingdom
    .
  3. ^ Some 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed at each garden party.[18]
  4. ^ Roy Nash, in his study, Buckingham Palace: The Place and the People, notes that "the tea served in all three tents is the same".[19]
  5. ^ Bradley and Pevsner note that the summerhouse, which they do not attribute to William Kent, was reconstructed after suffering bomb damage in World War II.[28]

Citations

  1. ^ "Buckingham Palace Gardens - Westminster". Parks and Gardens UK. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Buckingham House, London (Henry Wise)". Sir John Soane Museum. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Buckingham House, c.1703-10". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Buckingham Palace - Garden". Capability Brown Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Buckingham Palace garden". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  6. ^ "The Pavilion at Buckingham Palace". North Carolina State University. 22 July 1845.
  7. ^ "Plate from Ludwig Gruner and Anna Brownell Jameson 'The Decorations of the Garden Pavilion in the grounds of Buckingham Palace' 1845". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Morus Londinium". The Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  9. ^ Slack, Megan (3 March 2022). "This tree is a defining feature in Buckingham Palace's garden". Homes & Gardens.
  10. ^ "State rooms and garden highlights tour". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Time Team review". Current Archaeology. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Buckingham Palace Garden". Great British Gardens. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Special visit: The Garden at Buckingham Palace". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  14. ^ Brown 2004, p. 180.
  15. ^ a b "Garden Parties". The Royal Household. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. ^ Halleman, Caroline (5 May 2022). "Buckingham Palace Garden Parties Are Back". Town & Country.
  17. ^ "Royal Garden Parties". Lord Lieutenancy of Surrey. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  18. ^ Brown, Georgia (29 May 2022). "This secret about the Queen's garden parties might surprise royal fans". Hello Magazine.
  19. ^ a b c Nash 1980, p. 168.
  20. ^ "Our garden party at the palace". The Royal Household. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  21. ^ Kirkpatrick, Emily (18 May 2022). "Kate Middleton Attends Her First Buckingham Palace Garden Party of the Summer". Vanity Fair.
  22. ^ Lane, Mark. "The Trees of Buckingham Palace Garden". Dendrology.org. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Historic England. "Buckingham Palace (Grade II*) (1000795)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  24. ^ Lane, Mark. "The Trees of Buckingham Palace Garden". Dendrology.org. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Champion Trees at Buckingham Palace". The Royal Household. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  26. ^ "The Waterloo Vase (1819-30)". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  27. ^ Brown 2004, p. 10.
  28. ^ a b c d Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 653.
  29. ^ Coats 1978, p. 126.
  30. ^ van Lemmen 2006, p. 24.
  31. ^ Nash 1980, p. 182.
  32. ^ Titchmarsh 2014, p. 125.
  33. ^ Masset 2021, p. 65.
  34. ^ Coats 1978, p. 122.
  35. ^ Andriotis, Mary Elizabeth (13 April 2021). "New book explores the history of the garden at Buckingham Palace". House Beautiful.
  36. ^ "Buckingham Palace". London Gardens Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  37. ^ "The Garden at Buckingham Palace". Country Life. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  38. ^ Historic England. "Waterloo Vase in Buckingham Palace Garden (Grade I) (1239244)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  39. ^ Historic England. "Summer House in Buckingham Palace Garden (Grade I) (1239210)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  40. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace Boundary Walls Enclosing Grounds walls to Buckingham Palace Gardens (Grade I) (1239209)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  41. ^ Historic England. "North Screen to Buckingham Palace Forecourt with Gateway to Gardens (Grade I) (1273844)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  42. ^ Historic England. "South Screen to Buckingham Palace Forecourt Backing Onto Ambassadors' Court (Grade I) (1239088)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  43. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace Gates, Railings, Piers and Gate Piers with Lamps Fronting Buckingham Gate and As Entrance to Ambassadors' Court (Grade I) (1239211)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  44. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace, Wall Linking Palace and Riding School, Along Buckingham Palace Road (Grade I) (1239208)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  45. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace Riding School (Grade I) (1239207)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  46. ^ Historic England. "The Royal Mews (Grade I) (1066364)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  47. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace Lodge to South of Entrance to Royal Mews (Grade I) (1239204)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  48. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace Lodge to North of Entrance to Royal Mews (Grade I) (1239205)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  49. ^ Historic England. "The Royal Mews (Grade II) (1274628)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  50. ^ Historic England. "Buckingham Palace 4 Lamp Posts at Gateway to Royal Mews (Grade II) (1239206)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

Sources

See also

External links

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