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What Is the Queen's Gallery?
The Queen’s Gallery is a museum that is located in Buckingham Palace in England. The museum is devoted to displaying various exhibits of the items of the royals. Pieces on display vary from the crowns of the queens, dresses and housewares that the royals have used over the years.
The location of the Queen’s Gallery is a former chapel which was bombed and ruined during a bomb explosion during the war. When the Queen’s Gallery opened, the building was transformed and reconstructed to put the royal collection on exhibit, which in truth belong to the people of the United Kingdom.
The gallery started during the early 1970s. It was Queen Elizabeth who suggested and implemented the opening of the Queen’s Gallery. In 2002, the exhibition space underwent a remodeling, which coincided with The Queen's Golden Jubilee. The grand opening ceremony was overseen by the Queen herself.
In addition to the exhibitions that are changed in and out of the Queen’s Gallery, the gallery is also responsible for providing educational programs. The purpose of the educational programs is to promote the awareness and understanding of the monarchy in the country in which the students and adults that attend the programs learn.
The learning programs are offered in a variety of different formats, one of which is an audio tour. Adults and students can listen to a guided tour of the exhibit as they wander through the Queen’s Gallery.
Guided tours are also available on certain days and times of the year. It is best to check the Queen’s Gallery website for specific guide dates and times. In this case, a museum guide walks the individuals or groups through the gallery. The guide explains the history of the items on display. The guide also provides the background story or little known facts about the items that may be of interest to the visitors.
While the Queen’s Gallery plays a vital role in the lives of the residents of the United Kingdom, it is also a very popular tourist attraction. The Queen’s Gallery is open to the public, so it allows visitors from around the world to see items from the monarch’s private collection. The Queen’s Gallery also offers an e-gallery. The e-gallery allows individuals to view pieces of the collection and read information about the pieces online. It is a virtual tour of the exhibit that is currently on display at the gallery.
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![Buckingham Palace -- the official residence of the British royal family -- houses the Queen's Gallery.]()
By: bayu harsaBuckingham Palace -- the official residence of the British royal family -- houses the Queen's Gallery.
Discussion Comments
This might be an odd question but do you need to book your tickets in advance for entrance to The Queen's Gallery?
I know that a lot of the tours that pass through Buckingham Palace have a limited number of spots available so I am a bit worried that if I don't get everything in advance that I will miss something on my trip.
I also want to make sure I catch the changing of the guard because I have heard it is really something to see. I would like to work my tour and the gallery into a changing of the guards viewing if possible. I hope I can cram everything into an afternoon as I will be on a tight schedule.
@drtroubles - I had the pleasure of visiting The Queen's Gallery a few months ago and it really was a fantastic display of pieces. I would give yourself an hour to two hours to get a real feel for the gallery. It is much smaller than say The National Gallery so a morning should be fine when combined with checking out the palace.
One thing you should be aware of is that the gallery is always changing its exhibits so you should visit their official webpage to see if there is something going on that would interest your daughter. I know when I went I was pleased with the display but it probably wasn't for everyone.
My family and I will be heading to England on our next vacation and our curious about visiting The Queen's Gallery during our stop at Buckingham Palace. We are wondering if getting in is super expensive or if the prices are on par with other galleries in London and area.
Also, how long would you expect to stay at the gallery to get a really good feel for the exhibits. My daughter loves art so I want to make sure we budget enough time for her to get her fill of all the museums we can fit in. We'll be in London for a week before moving on to another city so I hope that gives us plenty of time to see what we need to.
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