# Buckingham Palace? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256 "2010-07-02T01:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/1 "2010-07-02T01:03:07Z")
Why doesn’t Buckingham Palace look like a palace? To me, it could pass as an office building more than my image of a palace! Did the architect have absolutely no imagination? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/2 "2010-07-02T01:15:00Z")
I don’t see this as a General Question and have moved it to MPSIMS. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/3 "2010-07-02T01:24:47Z")
Looks perfectly palatial to me. What ‘palace’ features are you thinking it’s missing? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/4 "2010-07-02T01:27:26Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Why doesn’t Buckingham Palace look like a palace? To me, it could pass as an office building more than my image of a palace! What’s a palace supposed to look like? It looks fairly grand to me. Perhaps your views are affected by the fact that Buckingham Palace started life as a non-royal residence, Buckingham House, built for the Duke of Buckingham. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/5 "2010-07-02T01:32:56Z")
Well it sure ain’t no Neuschwanstein. By God, when I am promised a palace I want towers and turrets and long flapping banners. Maybe a damsel in distress. And a moat with a draw bridge. Don’t give me a post office. I’ll even settle for Hampton Court. You can’t trot out Buckingham Palace and pawn it off as a real palace with a real queen and stuff. I’m not buying that one. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/6 "2010-07-02T01:36:44Z")
It helps to remember that a) it was built as a private home, and converted into a palace later, b) built by someone who wasn’t royalty, and c) it’s English. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/7 "2010-07-02T01:38:41Z")
I agree, it looks like a typical government building, something like a “Department of Commerce.” But I think some people are confusing palaces with castles. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/8 "2010-07-02T01:43:03Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > Well it sure ain’t no Neuschwanstein. That’s a castle, which is a different thing from a palace. A palace is a grand residence. A castle is a fortification. Compare Buckingham to Versailles. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/9 "2010-07-02T02:02:51Z")
What I want to know is, do tourists really mess with the palace guards, trying to get a reaction out of them? And if they do, why is it allowed? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/10 "2010-07-02T02:08:10Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > What I want to know is, do tourists really mess with the palace guards, trying to get a reaction out of them? Occasionally. > [@Rilchiam](#): > > And if they do, why is it allowed? Because the UK is a country in which the rule of law prevails. Parliament has yet to make it an offence to try and make someone laugh. The oversight may be deplorable but, until it is remedied, how are you going to restrain behaviour which is not illegal? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/11 "2010-07-02T02:09:19Z")
Shoot a tourist every now and then. You’d be surprised how quickly the rest fall into line. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/12 "2010-07-02T02:12:44Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Because the UK is a country in which the rule of law prevails. By that you mean, it’s not like in the US, where private security can ask you to step back, regardless of whether your action is legal or not? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/13 "2010-07-02T02:28:32Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > That’s a castle, which is a different thing from a palace. > > A palace is a grand residence. A castle is a fortification. > > Compare Buckingham to Versailles. Pretty much what I came in to say. A castle _can be_ a palace, and a palace _can be_ a castle, but neither one has to be the other. [Krak des Chevaliers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak_des_Chevaliers) is a hell of a castle, but it’s no palace. And [Versailles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles) is a hell of a palace, but it’s no castle. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/14 "2010-07-02T02:37:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > And [Versailles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles) is a hell of a palace, but it’s no castle. [The Palace has its own entry, with better pictures.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles) Including [this lovely panorama](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Versaillespanoraama2.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/15 "2010-07-02T02:51:02Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > [The Palace has its own entry, with better pictures.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles) Including [this lovely panorama](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Versaillespanoraama2.jpg). :smack: I linked the city entry, didn’t I? I really need to read my own cites… ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/16 "2010-07-02T02:55:30Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Occasionally. > Because the UK is a country in which the rule of law prevails. Parliament has yet to make it an offence to try and make someone laugh. The oversight may be deplorable but, until it is remedied, how are you going to restrain behaviour which is not illegal? When I went to London about 10 years ago, the guards were by the main building, which is far from the front gate and were pretty much inaccessible to the public. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/17 "2010-07-02T03:11:59Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > What I want to know is, do tourists really mess with the palace guards, trying to get a reaction out of them? And if they do, why is it allowed? I had my GF take a picture of me “not touching” a palace guard with my finger. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/18 "2010-07-02T03:12:12Z")
Well, okay then. ETA: To both of the two last posters. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/19 "2010-07-02T03:15:02Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > When I went to London about 10 years ago, the guards were by the main building, which is far from the front gate and were pretty much inaccessible to the public. But the poor troopers at Horse Guards are right out there in public. Horse Guards Parade, incidentally is worth seeing – much more photogenic than the changing of the guard at the post office where HRH sometimes lays her head (lies her head?). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256/20 "2010-07-02T04:02:59Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > But the poor troopers at Horse Guards are right out there in public. Horse Guards Parade, incidentally is worth seeing – much more photogenic than the changing of the guard at the post office where HRH sometimes lays her head (lies her head?). That’s “HM,” if you mean the Queen (“Her Majesty”). It was a lot more modest when it was just Buckingham House: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Buckingham_House_1710.jpeg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Buckingham_House_1710.jpeg) Buckingham Palace seems sufficiently palatial to me now: [http://www.weddingannouncer.com/pictures/109/localactivities/full-size/buckingham-20palace.jpg](http://www.weddingannouncer.com/pictures/109/localactivities/full-size/buckingham-20palace.jpg) And especially when they have the balcony draped for the Royals to come out and wave: [http://www.londonhotels.com/assets/shared/uploads/1195-400x400-BuckinghamPalace.gif](http://www.londonhotels.com/assets/shared/uploads/1195-400x400-BuckinghamPalace.gif). It’s even nicer on the inside: [http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2634233711\_9f2cc45a23.jpg](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2634233711_9f2cc45a23.jpg) [http://firstsliveone.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/buckingham-palace-interior.jpg](http://firstsliveone.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/buckingham-palace-interior.jpg) [![](http://img03.blogcu.com/images/b/r/i/britishculture/buckinghampalaceinterior_narrowweb__300x370_0_1238932087.jpg) ](http://img03.blogcu.com/images/b/r/i/britishculture/buckinghampalaceinterior_narrowweb__300x370_0_1238932087.jpg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace/545256.md?page=2)