Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, which is close to the heart of London, is located moderately close to Trafalgar Square, and is currently the administrative office to the Monarch. It has been the official residence of British sovereigns since 1837.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is a beautiful and enchanting palace, with a park right to it's side that looks perfect for a stroll on a cloudless, sunny afternoon. Swans, finches, ducks, and an assortment of birds to wonder after and to entertain you are there as well. I took a lot of photos here, as the pathway was all decked out in Union Jack flags- due to the fact that we had just missed the Jubilee. In the park was this huge Crown of Flowers, and it was a great sight because if you looked closely, you could see all the different flower patterns that made the crown to actually symbolize a crown!

The Crown of Flowers next to Buckingham Palace

There also was this soldier, we later learned that this particular 'group' of soldiers were called Queen's Guards or Foot Guards. The hats that they are wearing are bearskin hats. Don't they look funny? The hats look really big! In the link below, you can find more about these soldiers. Apparently, when the Queen is here, there are usually four guards on duty, but when the Queen is not here, then there are only two on duty. Never knew that before. Did you?

The Foot Guard with the Big Hat :)

We also got to see a bunch of horses that had soldiers riding on them. The horses were pretty much all black for the most part, and they pooped like a lot. They were cute, and didn't really move really fast. They just trotted along. They looked pretty contented and their fur was definitely sleek and pretty!

Horses Trotting down Buckingham Palace Pathway

If you wish to find more about Buckingham Palace, I recommend that you check out these two sites.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/buckinghampalace/buckinghampalace.aspx
http://projectbritain.com/royal/footguard.htm