Buckingham Palace: Epic Antiquity

Everyone loves to gossip; especially when it’s about royalty. Every one is watching their every move to see when they falter, when they deserve praise, where they should have stepped up and so forth. A story exists behind every royal figure. This story is of Buckingham Palace. The British Monarchy, who stir much of the drama and gossip that flocks todays headlines, the palace herself has a story to tell. A story of transformation, of joy, of war, of destruction, and of victory. Buckingham Palace stands in defiance of time, and continues on as a majestic symbol of royalty.

The palace was originally built as a large town house for the John Sheffield, the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Buckingham House (as it was known previously) was built on a plot of land that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. Sheffield had the residence built according to the plans designed by William Winde. The central design was a single large central block made up of three floors, with two smaller wings designated for various services necessary to keep a large, upper class household running (Harris 22). The Buckingham House was later sold to King George III in 1761 who set it aside as a private retreat for Queen Charlotte (Robinson 14).

After George IV inherits the throne in 1820 he continues his predecessor’s renovations of the Buckingham House in that began in 1762. George IV preferred to keep the residence as a small, comfortable home, however, his preference changed in the midst of construction in 1826. With the help of his architect, John Nash, George IV decided to turn the residence into a neo-classical palace. Not long afterward George IV died and his younger brother, William IV took over. William hired Edward Blore to finish off t...

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