The name of the palace where the Queen of Great Britain lives. Which castles and palaces do members of the British royal family live in? Blind architects of St. Basil's Cathedral

Where does Elizabeth II live? As befits queens, Elizabeth lives in a castle. Balmoral Castle, one of the British Queen's residences, is located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, near the village of Crathie, 6.2 miles (10.0 km). In 1852, the castle was purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.

Immediately after the purchase of Balmoral Castle, it turned out that the building was too small for the king and had to be dismantled. On the vacant site, the Scottish architect William Smith built a new castle in 1856, which has largely survived to this day.

The castle is the Queen's private property and is not part of the Crown Estate.

Crown Estate - Real estate owned and inherited by the royal family, subject to certain ownership restrictions. The Queen does not have the right to sell real estate from the Crown Estate list, and income from the operation of this real estate goes to the state budget.

In 1760, King George III transferred some of his castles to the state, and in return received forgiveness of debts and relieved himself of responsibility for repairs and maintenance of the property. This marked the beginning of the formation of a huge Crown Estate real estate fund, the total value of which exceeds a billion pounds.

In turn, the state, from the income from the operation of royal palaces and residences, formed an annual grant for members of the royal family, known as the Civil List.

In the United Kingdom, the Civil List covers the Royal Family's expenses for official visits to foreign and Commonwealth countries, as well as ceremonial functions, special occasions, maintenance of royal residences and wages for staff serving the Queen. In addition, additional government grants have been allocated for the cost of ensuring the security of the royal family.

Queen Elizabeth II with her corgi dogs.

Balmoral is now a vast 49,000-acre (20,000-hectare) estate, which includes hunting grounds with herds of wild deer and many different species of game and birds, including grouse, which are traditionally the site of royal hunts.

Cattle are also raised on these lands, and several forestry farms have been established.

Inside Balmoral Castle.

In the main drawing room of Balmoral Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II receives guests, the furnishings are simple and rather modest.

In keeping with the British tradition, which is more typical of poor people, against the backdrop of an antique fireplace and a rare antique clock made by Japy Freres, a cheap electric radiator from a local hardware store. Weathered furniture in covers, children's toys scattered throughout the living room, and if it weren't for the portraits of royalty on the walls, one would think that we were in one of the ordinary English aristocratic houses.

Queen Elizabeth II in the drawing room at Balmoral Castle. A rare opportunity to see Her Majesty in a relaxed home environment. Opposite is the former Prime Minister of Scotland.

We have marked with numbers the most interesting details of the royal living room.

1. Portrait of the young Queen Victoria, by the Hungarian painter Charles Brocky, 1841. Queen Victoria is the great-great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.

2. Portrait of the young Prince Albert, by the same artist. The prince died in 1861 at the age of 42.

3. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Kate and Prince William) with their son Prince George, born in July this year.

5. The beloved royal dogs of the Corgi breed sleep here.

6. Soft toys for little Prince George, the Queen's great-grandson.

7. Instead of an antique fireplace, there is an electric heater for £28.

8. Royal Tartan. Traditional national Scottish pattern, intersecting horizontal and vertical stripes of different colors. Tartan is made from natural sheep wool.

Clarence House

In July 2018, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla invited members of their family to their official London residence, Clarence House. There, the Windsors celebrated the christening of baby Prince Louis. If you look away from the main characters in the photo, you can notice elements of the luxurious interior of the Morning Room: a sofa with gold by furniture designer Thomas Chippendale, and in the background - a portrait of the Queen.

Kensington Palace

Before Prince William and Kate Middleton moved into Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, the 20-room house underwent extensive renovations and added another hedge line to the front of the building, in addition to an impressive stone fence. It was possible to see out of the corner of my eye how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live only in 2016 during a visit to them by Barack and Michelle Obama.

Despite the pouring rain, William, Kate and Harry went outside to greet the former US President and former First Lady. This photo shows the entrance to the house, which is usually protected from prying eyes.

The meeting took place in the living room, decorated with family photographs, books, magazines, flowers and other items carefully chosen by the royal couple. The photographs taken that day also show that the decoration of the house contains antiques and masterpieces of painting. Guests from America were also greeted by Prince George, dressed in pale blue checkered pajamas and a matching terry robe with the “George” monogram embroidered on the chest. The kid incredulously shook the hand of the ex-president of the United States and quickly switched to the wooden rocking horse standing by the window. It is symbolic that this toy is a gift from the Obama family.

Thanks to the Obama family, royal watchers were able to take a look at Prince Harry's Nottingham cottage. In 2015, the Duke of Sussex invited Michelle Obama to a tea party where they discussed the Let Girls Learn initiative, dedicated to education for teenage girls around the world.

Highgrove Estate

“I have poured my heart and soul into Highgrove,” Prince Charles wrote of the estate, acquired in the run-up to his marriage to Diana Spencer.

The then fashionable London decorator Dudley Popluck, who was a great friend of Prince Charles and Diana, helped with the interior design. In Highgrove, the newlyweds spent several happy years together, and then with their children.

The place even appears on the covers of books written by Prince Charles: Harmony: A New Look at the World (2010), Organic Gardening (2007), Highgrove: Portrait of an Estate and Highgrove Gardens (2001). Today, Highgrove is the family seat of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.

Buckingham Palace

Elements of the interior of the London royal residence can be seen annually in the Queen's Christmas messages. Her Majesty poses in the palace's White Drawing Room, Music Room, 1844 Room and Regency Room (from left to right).

Over the years, hundreds of portraits of the Queen have been taken at Buckingham Palace, but some of her early photographs are the most eye-catching. Like this black-and-white photograph taken in July 1946, when the royal and then Princess Elizabeth sat and played the piano in the State Apartments.

Windsor castle

Queen's summer residence. The photo shows Her Majesty with her grandchildren while celebrating her 90th birthday.

Sandringham Palace

Sandringham Palace, located in Norfolk, just a few hours' drive from Buckingham Palace, is the Windsors' idyllic country residence. “This is a place for informal visits and entertainment with friends,” Prince Philip wrote about Sandrigham Palace. The Queen usually spends Christmas and New Year there with her family.

Balmoral Castle

The Queen spends several weeks at the end of each summer at her private estate, Balmoral. The Scottish castle is considered the favorite among all the residences of Elizabeth II. This sweet photo shows a relaxed Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with one of their pet dogs in the castle's drawing room in 1977.

Home to British monarchs since 1837, Buckingham Palace is arguably the most recognizable royal residence in the world. Every year during the warm months of the year the palace opens its doors to visitors. This year the season, which began on July 25, will last until September 27. At this time, visitors to the palace have the first chance to enter through the main entrance, where usually only those who have received an official invitation from the Queen herself, including heads of state and prime ministers of other countries, enter.

During your visit, you can find out how noble people are welcomed at Buckingham Palace, how preparations for state visits are carried out, from preparing clothes for the reception to choosing dishes and utensils.

Visitors will also be able to visit the Royal Mews, which are famous for their decoration. The stables are still used to train horses that will then be harnessed to the royal carriages. It also houses the royal family's cars.

This palace is the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Previously, such persons of “blue blood” as the sister of the reigning Queen Princess Margaret and Princess Diana of Wales lived in it, and in the 17th and 18th centuries it was here that the “heart” of the royal court was located.

The palace has recently undergone a major £12 million refurbishment, ensuring guests visiting the property will have a truly unforgettable experience.

One of the permanent exhibitions located in the palace building is “Unknown Victoria” (Victoria Revealed), which tells about the life and love of Queen Victoria. She is the only British monarch other than the reigning Queen to celebrate the so-called Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of reign.

The Hampton Court palace and park complex is known for its difficult fate. The original palace was built here in the early 16th century by the British Tudor King Henry VIII for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. After the Cardinal fell from grace, Henry took the palace for himself. After this, already in the next century, after the revolution and restoration of the monarchy, the British monarchs William III and Mary II began a large-scale restoration of the palace, after which it was decorated in the Baroque style.

Today, guests of this ensemble can visit the beautiful Royal Chapel, kitchens in which food was prepared for representatives of the Tudor family, a majestic formal dining room, as well as picturesque gardens stretching over a distance of 24 hectares, where you can walk among fountains, many flowers and trees. The journey from London Waterloo Station takes no more than 35 minutes.

Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, south central England

Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest castle in existence, where representatives of the Royal Family still live today. The castle is also one of the favorite residences of the reigning Queen.

The walls of the castle “conceal” 900 years of history of the British state. Along with the must-see castle building, there is the famous Gothic Chapel of St. George, which houses the tombs of ten British rulers, including Henry VIII.

Clarence House, London

Official residence of Prince Charles of Wales, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall and Prince Harry. Prince Charles first came to this residence at the age of one, when Elizabeth II, still a princess in those days, and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh moved here after their wedding and the birth of their child.

The residence also became the last home of the Queen Mother. From 1 to 31 August, individual and group tours of the residence are offered, during which guests visit the Lancaster, Morning and Garden rooms, the library and the dining room, where Prince Charles and Camilla hold official receptions.

Scotland

Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Northern Scotland

Nestled in the stunning scenery of the Dee Valley, this castle in northern Scotland and its surrounding grounds cover more than 20,000 hectares of heather-covered hills and ancient Caledonian forests.

The castle was much loved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and has maintained its status as the royal family's favorite summer residence ever since. The area surrounding the castle, gardens and exhibitions that take place here are open to the public from April 1 to August 2. The entrance ticket allows you to visit the gardens around the castle, exhibitions held on the castle grounds, as well as the ballroom - the largest room in the entire building. The nearest railway station and international airport are in the city of Aberdeen, 80 kilometers east of the castle.

Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh

Previously, the yacht Britannia was the “floating” residence of the British Queen. It has now become a popular museum among visitors to the country, anchored in Edinburgh. Not long ago, the yacht celebrated its 60th birthday. During her long life, the ship transported many famous people from all over the world, and 40 years ago she came into the use of the British royal family.

Now anyone can get on board this famous yacht and have a traditional British tea party right on the deck. The yacht is moored in the port of Leith, within walking distance of the main shopping street of the Scottish capital - Princess Street.

Wales

Llwynywermod, Carmarthenshire, South West Wales

This country house becomes the residence of Prince Charles during his visits to Wales. When the prince does not live here, the cottages can be rented by anyone. Thus, every person has a chance to live in the house of a person of royal blood.

The house is owned by a private company that subsidizes the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales and members of his family. The house is managed in compliance with environmental standards and principles of environmental conservation that are important to Prince Charles.

For example, it is insulated with sheep's wool, wood shavings are used to heat the water, and the electricity comes from renewable sources.

The cottages are close to the foothills and spectacular waterfalls of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The journey from London takes about 3.5 hours by car, and getting here by public transport is quite difficult.

Northern Ireland

Hillsborough Castle, County Down

The Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland, this 18th-century mansion was built in the 1770s by Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire. It was previously the home of the Governor of Northern Ireland, and is now the residence of the Northern Irish Secretary of State.

Particularly noteworthy are the State Drawing Room, dining rooms, pieces of furniture, as well as silver from Her Majesty's ship Nelson, built between the two world wars.

The castle garden is home to the largest rhododendron bush in Europe. The castle and garden are open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from April 2 to September 27. County Down is 40 minutes south of Belfast by car.

The residences of the Queen of Great Britain will tell you about the history of the British Monarchy and will help you touch the life of the royal family:

• (London) is the official residence of the Queen of Great Britain.
• (Bexshire County, 30 km from London) is the favorite residence of Elizabeth II of Windsor.
• Sandringham Castle(Norfolk, England) is the traditional place for the royal family to celebrate Christmas.
• Palace of Holyrood House Edinburgh is the official Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth II.
• - The Queen's private residence in Scotland.
• Kensington Palace and Clarence House– two London residences of members of the royal family.

Windsor. England.

The city of Windsor is an island of calm after the bustle of London. It can be reached in an hour by train from London's Waterloo Station to Windsor & Eaton Riverside Station, departing every 30 minutes. A second train station, Windsor & Eaton Central, is located close to the first.

Standing proudly in the middle of the surrounding meadows, the castle is a classic illustration of modern England.

Sights of the city of Windsor:

• Windsor Castle is the official summer residence of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
• The Town Hall, built in 1687, is located on High Street.
• The wedding palace where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were legally married.
• Statue of George V (near the castle entrance).
• Great Windsor Park.
• Botanical garden with an area of ​​14 hectares.
• Lake Virginia - Walter and a 30-meter totem pole on the shore. It is famous for its legends. Scenes for the Harry Potter film were filmed here.
• Inexpensive shopping on the central streets and in the station building.
• Legoland Park (3 km from Windsor) is the best theme park in England with interactive models, games and attractions.

Held annually in Windsor since 1943 in May. Royal Horse Show.

This is an important event for horse and racing lovers. For eight days, Windsor becomes an arena where champions of horse breeds are selected, 150 companies present their “equestrian” products, crew championships and cart cavalcades, an international Grand Prix, and a competition in the “Marathon” section (eight obstacles for the speed and accuracy of the rider) are held.

Ascot horse racing take place here in June. Attending horse races is very prestigious, so all the British nobility flock here. The first horse races were held on the grounds of the castle on Ascot in 1711.

Garter Ceremony takes place in June at Windsor Castle.

Not far from Windsor (on the opposite bank of the Thames) is the town of Eton and the famous Eton- the oldest private educational institution, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI for boys from 13 to 18 years old from influential families. The territory and classrooms are open to visits from April to September from 14:30 to 16:30 and, if you wish, you can see where Princes William and Harry, the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, studied.

Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh is the official residence of the Queen of Great Britain in Scotland, located at the end of the Royal Mile. In 1128 it was founded as a monastery. Typically, state ceremonies and official events are held here from late June to early July.

One of the royal residences is located in the county of Norfolk - sandringham castle. Traditionally, the royal family spends the Christmas holidays here! Also, every February, Queen Elizabeth II and her family retire here on the anniversaries of her father’s death and her coronation to the throne of Great Britain. Tourists can admire the castle gardens and the local museum.

Royal residence - Sandringham Castle

Clarence House - the official London residence of the Prince of Wales (the eldest son of the reigning queen - heir to the throne) and the Duchess of Cornwall, who plays her role in the life of the nation and the royal family. In summer, part of the house (5 rooms on the ground floor) is open to the public.

Kensington Palace in London e– new apartments for the royal family. The palace was empty after the death of Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain). After major renovations, it will be home to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen approved of her grandson's decision to live in Kensington Palace, which consists of 20 rooms. The historical part of this palace will be open to tourists.

January 28th, 2013

Great architectural buildings that have successfully stood the test of time, despite destructive wars and natural disasters, often conceal many mysteries and secrets. The construction of many of them is surrounded by legends and myths that remain in history and reach us through the centuries. We invite you to join us in dispelling various myths about the most famous great buildings of mankind.

Blind architects of St. Basil's Cathedral?

Located on Red Square in Moscow, famous throughout the world St. Basil's Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, amazes even his contemporaries with its beauty. The temple with brightly decorated domes resembles a fairy-tale palace.

The cathedral is included in the list of monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site, He was built in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible. According to legend, the king ordered the architects to be blinded after finishing the work so that they would never be able to build anything more beautiful than this cathedral.

However, this is all just a legend. There is written evidence that 25 years after the construction of the cathedral and 4 years after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the same architects were hired to expand the cathedral. If they were blind, they would certainly not be able to make the modification.

Where does the Queen of England live?

Queen Elizabeth II of England lives in Buckingham Palace, which can be read about in any textbook of the English language or English modern history. Her Royal Majesty admits that considers another place to be the official place of residence, namely St James's Palace on Pall Mall in London, where the royal family lived for 4 hundred years.

Buckingham Palace

This old palace was built between 1531 and 1536 and appeared official residence of the British Monarchy until 1837, until Queen Victoria built Buckingham Palace, which was more modern for those times.

St James's Palace

Moreover, the queens' third official residence, at least in the summer, is Windsor castle, a beautiful castle in the city of Windsor.

Windsor castle

New York skyscraper and coin

There is a myth that if you throw a coin from the top floor skyscraper Empire State Building, then she might kill someone below. That is, a skyscraper is so huge that a coin, having flown through all its floors, will reach such a speed that, having landed on the head of a passerby, can instantly take his life.

Fortunately for New Yorkers and visitors who decide to take a walk next to the skyscraper, there is no danger of being killed by a coin. The flat surface of a flying coin will encounter air resistance. If the environment were a vacuum, the coin would reach its maximum speed. But even at such incredible speed, it is only would cause minor pain, but could not kill.

What is Big Ben?

World famous clock tower Palace of Westminster often called Big Ben, although in fact Big Ben is a bell, not a tower. Until September 2012 it was easy Clock tower, but today it bears the official name Elizabeth Tower in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

In reality, Big Ben is a bell

Big Ben is the largest bell of the 6 bells in the palace. Its weight is 13.7 tons, and according to one version it received its name in honor of Benjamin Hall, who worked on its casting.

Sunset over the Thames. View of the Palace of Westminster and Elizabeth Tower

When did the White House become white?

Legend has it that after construction during the period between 1792 and 1800 The White House was gray, and it became white a little later. In 1814, when the Anglo-American war, which remained in history as War of 1812, was still in full swing, the British troops did something that was not at all in their spirit - set fire to the White House. After the war, the building was restored and repainted white, hence the name.

This story is partly true: the British did set the White House on fire in 1814. However, part of the house was really white even before the fire. He became white in 1798, when it was painted white to protect it from winter weather. Name "The White house" the building received in 1811, three years before the fire.

Official residence of the President of the United States The White House today, Washington (DC)

Why is there nothing higher than the Capitol?

It may seem strange that there are no skyscrapers in the US capital Washington. In almost all capitals of the world today you can find very tall buildings, some hundreds of floors. It is believed that local laws prohibit the construction of high-rise buildings because neither no building should be taller than the Capitol- the building of the US Congress, since nothing in this city should be above politics.

Capital of the United States, Washington (District of Columbia)

This is actually not true. The reason why Washington doesn't have skyscrapers is different. According to Building Height Act of 1910, all buildings in the city should be no more than 6 meters higher than the width of the streets. The city's founders believed that the capital should be "low and comfortable."

Capitol - US Congress building, Washington, DC

Are Galileo's experiments a hoax?

Galileo Galilei- a famous Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who conducted dozens of experiments for scientific purposes. One of his most famous experiments was when he threw two cannonballs from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that two bodies of different masses but the same shape will reach the ground at the same speed.

However, historians doubt that Galileo even performed such experiments, since He did not leave descriptions of these experiments in any of his works.

Who built Stonehenge?

Many people believe that Stonehenge - one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, was built by the Druids - poets and priests of the ancient Celts. Archaeologist finds connection between Druids and Stonehenge John Aubrey as early as 1640, and until the 19th century this theory prevailed.

However, modern archaeological methods prove that Stonehenge could have been built by anyone but the Druids. The structure of this structure was not built immediately, construction took many centuries.

Construction of Stonehenge has begun late 2nd - early 3rd millennium BC, and then other phases of construction followed. It was started by representatives of the local Neolithic cultures who lived in the British Isles at that time and were somewhat isolated from the rest of Europe

Where do the victims of the Gevera Dam lie?

Guevera Dam in the USA on the Colorado River is one of the largest dams in the world. Its construction, which took more than 5 years, between 1931 and 1936, required a Herculean effort, resulting in the death of 96 people. According to legend, many workers were buried in the concrete of the dam, and their remains still lie there.

It is true that there were 96 victims at the dam, but that some of them were buried in concrete is a complete fiction. The dam was being built of thousands of tightly fitting slabs, each of which was cast independently of the other and brought to the site.

Another interesting fact is related to the Gevera Dam. The first person to die in preparation for the construction of the dam - J. G. Tierney, and the last victim of the dam was his son Patrick W. Tierney, who died on the same day as his father, but 13 years later.

Is the Great Wall of China visible from space?

The great Wall of China represents the most ambitious construction project in history. Moreover, this is the longest wall in the world, and some are convinced that it can even be seen from space. This myth has become so popular that even appeared in Chinese school textbooks.

However, the wall cannot be seen from space at all, contrary to belief. This was proven in 2003 Yang Liwei, one of the Chinese astronauts, a man who knew exactly where to look and where to look for the wall.

Former NASA astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman also said that although he could not see the Chinese Wall from space, he saw large highways, roads in the desert and irrigation canals, since they simply differed in color from the environment.