Buckingham Palace
P E R F E C T D AY I N —
LONDON In June, Queen Elizabeth II and the entire United Kingdom celebrated the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee marking her 70th year as head of state with pomp and circumstance in the form of royal parades, horse races, and street festivals. Here’s how to make the most of a day in London, where a “Superbloom” of 20 million seeds sown in the moat of the Tower of London marks the anniversary all summer.
MM OORR NNI IN N G G
Trust your travel advisor to scare up a few of the much-in-demand tickets to tour Buckingham Palace, a seasonal opportunity only available July 22 to October 2. Of the 775 rooms in the royal residence, tour-goers will be able to see the 19 State Rooms, in which the Queen welcomes foreign dignitaries, and the Throne Room, where official royal wedding photographs are taken. Bonus: Add on a guided tour to the palace gardens while you are chez Windsor. From the Palace, take a walk around stately Westminster to do some landmark box-ticking. See Charles Dickens and Elizabeth I’s tombs at Westminster Abbey. Take some snap shots of the UK parliament. Don’t forget to salute Big Ben, finally free of scaffolding after a fiveyear refurbishment, its clock tolling every quarter hour.
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