Home / Royal Mail / The Queen’s secret rooms at Buckingham Palace – from a cinema to indoor pool

The Queen’s secret rooms at Buckingham Palace – from a cinema to indoor pool


Chloe Best




It has been over three months since the Queen was last at Buckingham Palace, after relocating to her home at Windsor Castle during the coronavirus pandemic, in what looks set to be her longest absence from royal duties throughout her 68-year reign.

The Palace has been the Queen’s 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. From a cinema to an indoor swimming pool, discover the surprising additions to the 775 room royal residence…

RELATED: Inside the Queen’s London residence, Buckingham Palace

Loading the player…

WATCH: A look inside the royal residences

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.'”

The-Queen-Buckingham-Palace-regency-room

Buckingham Palace has a private cinema and post office

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

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.

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.

Secret entrance to 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.

RELATED: Inside the Queen’s second home at Windsor Castle

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 George and Princess Charlotte.

ATM Machine  

In 2001, 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.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.




Source link

About admin

Check Also

Royal Mail draws inspiration from UK cathedrals for 2024 Christmas stamps

CHRISTMAS stamps for 2024 from Royal Mail feature original illustrations of five UK cathedrals: St …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *