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Chloe Best
The Queen and Prince Philip house: discover the secret rooms at Buckingham Palace including a cinema, post office, indoor pool and more.
The Queen has used Buckingham Palace as her official residence since 1952, and while we have often seen glimpses inside the lavish State Rooms and sprawling gardens, there are a number of secret rooms we have never seen – and only a few privileged guests or members of staff will ever get to use them. From a cinema to an indoor swimming pool, discover the surprising additions to the 775 room royal residence…
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1. The Queen’s Cinema
Like celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Chrissy Teigen and Jennifer Lawrence, the Queen also has her very own home cinema at Buckingham Palace. However, it is for staff use rather than the royal family themselves. BBC journalist Emily Maitlis revealed she saw the staff cinema being set up in the Palace’s south drawing room when she went to interview Prince Andrew in November.
“The floor is being transformed by palace workmen. It looks for a minute as if railway tracks are going down,” Emily wrote in The Times. She then spoke to a staff member, who told her: “It’s for the Buckingham Palace cinema. All the people who work here come along. It’s Judy tonight if you want to stay.'”
Buckingham Palace has a private cinema and post office
2. The Queen’s Post Office
All 800 Buckingham Palace staff can make use of the Court Post Office within Buckingham Palace, which is run by Royal Mail. A photo at the IWM shares a glimpse at what it looked like in 1941, however, we imagine it has changed greatly since then!
MORE: 9 fun facts about Buckingham Palace
3. The Queen’s Chapel
The private chapel at Buckingham Palace was created by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844 in what had been designed as a conservatory. However, it was destroyed in a German bombing raid in 1940, and it has now been relocated within the south-eastern part of the palace.
4. The Queen’s Doctor’s Office
The Royal Mews Surgery is located at Buckingham Palace and is run by the Queen’s GP, Dr Timothy Evans. It offers NHS healthcare to royal household staff, while the royal family prefer to be treated privately.
5. The Queen’s Secret entrance to the State Apartments
There is a secret doorway in the White Drawing Room
Visitors to Buckingham Palace during the summer opening of the State Rooms will pass through the grand White Drawing Room, but did you know it has a secret doorway leading to the Queen’s private state apartments? Disguised as a mirror and cabinet and typically concealed from view, it is where the Queen makes her entrance ahead of audiences and small gatherings.
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6. The Queen’s Indoor Swimming Pool
Buckingham Palace is home to a full-size swimming pool, which can be used by both staff and members of the royal family. Prince William and Kate took Prince George for private swimming lessons at the pool, and it is likely they have since done the same for his younger siblings, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.
7. The Queen’s ATM Machine
In 2001, the now-former head of Coutts bank, Gordon Pell, confirmed to The Standard that there is indeed an ATM inside Buckingham Palace. It is tucked away in the Palace basement and reserved for the royal family.
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