BUCKINGHAM PALACE SHOWS RECORD BREAKING SUMMER SEASON

A RECORD-BREAKING 413,000 VISITORS PASSED THROUGH THE DOORS OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE DURING THIS YEAR'S SUMMER OPENING. ATTENDANCE WAS THE HIGHEST IN 16 YEARS AND THE SECOND HIGHEST SINCE BUCKINGHAM PALACE FIRST OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1993 (420,000 VISITORS WERE RECORDED IN 1994). TO TOP A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR, BUCKINGHAM PALACE WAS AWARDED 'BEST UK ATTRACTION' AT BOTH THE GROUP TRAVEL AWARDS AND THE GROUP LEISURE AWARDS. MANY WHO HAD VISITED BUCKINGHAM PALACE IN PREVIOUS SEASONS RETURNED THIS SUMMER TO SEE THE SPECIAL EXHIBITION, THE QUEEN'S YEAR, WHICH CHARTED THE SPECTACLE AND VARIETY OF THE QUEEN'S WORK. THE PALACE'S NEW GARDEN CAFE PROVED TO BE AN EQUAL DRAW. OVER THE EIGHT WEEKS OF THE SUMMER OPENING, IT SERVED 46,000 CUPS OF TEA; PROFITEROLES AND VANILLA MILLE FEUILLE WERE AMONG VISITORS' FAVORITE TREATS. FURTHERMORE, OWING TO POPULAR DEMAND, THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED VICTORIA & ALBERT: ART & LOVE EXHIBITION AT THE QUEEN'S GALLERY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 5.DECEMBER.2010. IT BRINGS TOGETHER OVER 400 WORKS OF ART COLLECTED BY THE ROYAL COUPLE, MANY EXCHANGED AS GIFTS TO MARK SPECIAL OCCASIONS. THANKS TO THE EXHIBITION, ATTENDANCE AT THE QUEEN'S GALLERY HAS RISEN BY 19% THIS YEAR, INCLUDING A RECORDED NUMBER OF FIRST-TIME VISITORS.

THE QUEEN OPENS HER PHOTOGRAPHS TO TEH WORLD ON FLICKR

YET ANOTHER SIGN OF THE QUEEN'S DETERMINATION TO MASTER NEW TECHNOLOGY. AFTER EMBRACING YOUTUBE AND TWITTER, BUCKINGHAM PALACE HAS LAUNCHED A NEW FLICKR ACCOUNT RECENTLY CONTAINING MORE THAN 600 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AT WORK AND PLAY. SOME OF THE RARELY PUBLISHED IMAGES OF THE QUEEN, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, THE PRINCE OF WALES, THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL, PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE HARRY AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL DATE BACK WELL OVER A CENTURY, WHILE OTHERS WILL BE FROM AS RECENTLY AS THE QUEEN'S TOUR OF CANADA AND HER VISIT TO NEW YORK EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE MONARCHY'S NEW FLICKR ACCOUNT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN BUCKINGHAM PALACE, CLARENCE HOUSE AND ST JAMES'S PALACE. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ROYAL ARCHIVE MASTERPIECES OF EARLY BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTED BY QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY. IN ALL, THERE ARE 28 DIFFERENT SETS OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE THEMES INCLUDE THE QUEEN AND THE COMMONWEALTH, ROYAL EVENTS AND CEREMONIES, AND LATEST NEWS AND DIARY. THE QUEEN IS SAID TO BE 'VERY ENTHUSIASTIC' ABOUT THE NEW TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES AND HAS PERSONALLY APPROVED THE RELEASE OF ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS FEATURING MOMENTOUS AND TOUCHING MOMENTS IN ROYAL HISTORY. THOSE CLOSE TO THE QUEEN, WHO IS 84, HAVE TOLD HOW, ENCOURAGED BY HER GRANDCHILDREN, SHE HAS LONG BEEN KEEN TO LEARN ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGY. SHE HAS HER OWN PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS, 'SURFS' THE WEB AND USES A MOBILE PHONE. A SPOKESMAN FOR BUCKINGHAM PALACE SAID: 'THE (FLICKR) LAUNCH IS TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE SUMMER OPENING OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE, AS THE SITE HIGHLIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHS SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED FOR THE PALACE'S EXHIBITION, THE QUEEN'S YEAR, WHICH OPENS ON 27.JULY.'
FOR MORE VISIT www.flickr.com/britishmonarchy

QUEEN'S STATE ROBE WILL BE DISPLAYED AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

THE QUEEN'S 18ft ROBE OF STATE WILL GO ON PUBLIC DISPLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AS PART ON AN EXHIBITION AT THE SUMMER OPENING OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE. THE CRIMSON VELVET ROBE WORN BY THE QUEEN AT THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT WILL BE THE CENTERPIECE OF THE DISPLAY, ALONGSIDE THE MACE AND GREAT SWORD OF STATE. THE ROBE, WHICH WEIGHS MORE THAN 151 lbs, WAS MADE FOR THE QUEEN'S CORONATION IN 1953. IT CONSISTS OF AN ERMINE CAPE AND A LONG VELVET TRAIN, MEASURING 18ft IN TOTAL. THE EXHIBITION RUNS FROM 27.JULY UNTIL 1.OCTOBER.

DRESS WORN BY THE QUEEN WHEN MICHELLE OBAMA HUGGED HER TO BE DISPLAYED

THE PINK DRESS WORN BY THE QUEEN THE DAY MICHELLE OBAMA BREACHED ROYAL PROTOCOL BY PUTTING AN ARM AROUND HER WAIST IS SET TO GO ON DISPLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. THE WIFE OF THE US PRESIDENT MADE THE SPONTANEOUS GESTURE, WHICH THE QUEEN RECIPROCATED, DURING A RECEPTION FOR THE G20 LEADERS LAST YEAR. HER MAJESTY'S PINK DRESS WITH A BOX PLEATED HEM WAS DESIGNED BY ANGELA KELLY, THE QUEEN'S INFLUENTIAL DRESSER, AND WILL BE PART OF AN EXTENSIVE DISPLAY WHICH MIXES THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL ASPECTS OF THE ROYAL YEAR. THE CENTER PIECE OF THE SHOW, WHICH OPENS ON 27.JULY, WILL BE THE MAGNIFICENT ROBE OF STATE, ALSO ON VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH THE QUEEN WILL WEAR AT THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT NEXT WEEK. THE MACE, THE GREAT SWORD OF STATE AND THE CAP OF MAINTENANCE WHICH WILL PRECEDE HER MAJESTY IN PROCESSION THROUGH THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER DURING THE STATE OPENING WILL ALSO BE ON DISPLAY. THE QUEEN'S TROOPING THE COLOUR SADDLE WILL BE ON SHOW, ALONG WITH THE PEARL AND EMERALD-ENCRUSTED VLADIMIR TIARA BOUGHT BY QUEEN MARY IN 1921 AND MOST RECENTLY WORN BY HER MAJESTY IN HER OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH AS QUEEN OF CANADA. VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE GIFTS THE QUEEN HAS RECEIVED OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING A MODEL OF WALLACE AND GROMIT, THE CARTOON CHARACTERS GIVEN TO HER IN 1996, AND A BUCKINGHAM PALACE UNDERGROUND SIGN FROM THE TRIP TO ALDGATE EAST TUBE STATION IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. TENS OF THE HATS HER MAJESTY HAS WORN AT ROYAL ASCOT OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS WILL ALSO BE DISPLAYED, TOGETHER WITH THE ONE SHE PLANS TO WEAR THIS YEAR.

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME 'PROTECTED STATUS'

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE, THE CONTROVERSIAL LONDON LANDMARK, IS EXPECTED TO WIN PROTECTED STATUS SOON. IT'S BEEN DERIDED BY MANY AS A PANTOMIME SET AND COMPARED TO A DEVELOPMENT ON THE COSTA DEL SOL, BUT THE ICONIC QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE IS TO BECOME A PERMANENT FEATURE OF THE LONDON LANDSCAPE. RICHARD BRIGGS, WHO WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH GATE APPEAL, RECENTLY SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS APPLYING TO HAVE THE TRIBUTE TO THE LATE QUEEN MOTHER LISTED BY ENGLISH HERITAGE. 'THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT WON'T BE AROUND FOR EVER, SO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE SAFEGUARD IT FOR THE FUTURE', HE SAID AT A RECEPTION TO LAUNCH THE ELEPHANT PARADE, A CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE ENDANGERED ASIAN ELEPHANT, IN CONVENT GARDEN. PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT CONCEIVED THE IDEA OF CONSTRUCTING THE £1.5 MILLION GATE AS A TRIBUTE TO HER AUNT ON HER 90th BIRTHDAY AND IT WAS UNVEILED IN 1993. LORD ROGER, THE ARCHITECT, DESCRIBED THE DESIGN BY THE SCULPTOR DAVID WYNNE AS 'ROMANTIC CANDYFLOSS' AND COMPARED IT TO ONE OD QUEEN ELIZABETH'S HATS. EVEN HER GRANDSON LORD LINLEY SAID HE 'ABSOLUTELY LOATHED' IT. HOWEVER, BRIGGS, WHO WAS AWARDED OBE FOR HIS EFFORT, SAID THE GATE HAD BECOME A POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION AND HELPED TO AVOID COUNTLESS ROAD ACCIDENTS BY CALMING THE TRAFFIC IN THAT CORNER OF THE ROYAL PARK. HE ADDED, 'I THINK THE DESIGN HAS GROWN ON PEOPLE.'

THE CRUMBLING STATE OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND WINDSOR PALACE, TWO OF THE MOST POPULAR STATE-OWNED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, REQUIRE AT LEAST £20 MILLION TO BE SPENT ON NEW ROOFS AND UPDATED HEATING SYSTEMS. THE STATE ROOMS HAVE NOT BEEN REDECORATED SINCE THE CORONATION IN 1953. THE REWIRING WAS OVERHAULED AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE IN 1948, PROMPTING CONCERN OVER SAFETY. LEAKS IN THE ROOF OF THE PALACE'S PICTURE GALLERY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A THREAT TO WORKS BY MASTERS SUCH AS REMBRANDT. THE CRUMBLING FACADES ON ALL SIDES OF THE QUADRANGLE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ARE IN NEED OF MAINTENANCE. THE WORK, WHICH IS CLASSED AS URGENT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO THOSE WALKING UNDERNEATH, WILL COST AN ESTIMATED £3 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS. THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY REFUSED TO HELP MEET THE COST OF REFURBISHMENT DESPITE REPORTS THAT A LUMP OF MASONRY NARROWLY MISSED THE PRINCESS ROYAL LAST YEAR AS SHE WAS GETTING INTO HER CAR. A SIMILAR INCIDENT TOOK PLACE FOUR MONTHS EARLIER ON THE DAY THAT ALMOST 1,000 PUPILS AND TEACHERS WERE DUE TO VISIT THE PALACE FOR A SCIENCE FAIR. LAST WEEK IT WAS REPORTED ANOTHER PIECE OF MASONRY FELL NARROWLY MISSING A PATROLLING POLICE OFFICER. THE ROYAL MAUSOLEUM AT FROGMORE, NEAR WINDSOR CASTLE, WHICH HOUSES THE TOMB OF QUEEN VICTORIA, HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY ENGLISH HERITAGE AS 'AT RISK' AFTER PART OF THE CEILING FELL IN. A LARGE STRETCH OF ROOF AT WINDSOR CASTLE ALSO NEEDS REPLACING

INDIAN STATE BANQUET AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE PRESENTS 'THE CONVERSATION PIECE: SCENES OF FASHIONABLE LIFE'

A FASCINATING INSIGHT INTO HIGH-SOCIETY STYLE AND MANNERS, FROM THE TIME OF CHARLES I TO THE REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA, IS PRESENTED AT THE QUEEN'S GALLERY IN BUCKINGHAM PALACE,LONDON, IN A STUNNING EXHIBITION ENTITLED 'THE CONVERSATION PIECE: SCENES OF FASHIONABLE LIFE'. TYPICALLY A CONVERSATION PIECE SHOWS A FAMILY GROUP OR A GATHERING OF FRIENDS PARTICIPATING IN INFORMAL ACTIVITIES, PERHAPS AT A TEA PARTY, ON A FISHING TRIP OR AT A DINING CLUB. WHILE A PORTRAIT PRIMARILY RECORDS THE SITTER'S APPEARANCE, THE CONVERSATION PIECE DEPICTS THEIR WAY OF LIFE. THE EXHIBITION TRACES THE ROOTS OF THE CONVERSATION PIECE BACK TO THE NETHERLANDS IN THE 17th CENTURY AND TO THE WORK OF ARTISTS AS PIETER DE HOOCH AND GODFRIED SCHALCKEN. THIS FORM OF GROUP PORTRAITURE REACHED THE HEIGHT OF ITS POPULARITY IN GEORGIAN ENGLAND, AND THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES OUTSTANDING PAINTINGS BY THE GREATEST EXPONENTS OF THE CONVERSATION PIECE, JOHAN ZOFFANY, WILLIAM HOGARTH AND THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH. TO COMPLEMENT THE SELECTION OF ROYAL CONVERSATION PIECES, THE EXHIBITION SHOWS EXAMPLES OF THE GENRE ACQUIRED BY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OVER THE PAST FOUR CENTURIES.
THE CENTERPIECE OF THE EXHIBITION IS A GROUP OF WORKS BY ZOFFANY, PERHAPS THE GREATEST PRACTITIONER OF THE CONVERSATION PIECE. A GERMAN BORN PAINTER WHO SETTLED IN ENGLAND, ZOFFANY WAS A FAVORITE OF GEORGE III AND PAINTED NUMEROUS WORKS FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY. THE KING AND HIS CONSORT, QUEEN CHARLOTTE, COMMISSIONED THE ARTIST TO CELEBRATE THE VIRTUES OF 'NORMAL' FAMILY LIFE. IN QUEEN CHARLOTTE WITH HER TWO ELDEST SONS, ZOFFANY SHOWS THE LAVISHLY ATTIRED QUEEN AS AN ATTENTIVE MOTHER WITH HER CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY DOG GATHERED AROUND HER. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES ZOFFANY'S GREATEST PAINTING, 'THE TRIBUNA OF THE UFFIZI', IN WHICH A DISTINGUISHED GATHERING OF ARISTOCRATS, ARTISTS AND GRAND TOURISTS ARE SET AGAINST A DAZZLING ASSEMBLAGE OF MASTERPIECES.

THE BATTERED ROYAL TEA TRAY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH REVEALED

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING PUT TOGETHER WITH THREE BITS OF DISCARDED WOOD AND THE HELP OF BLUE PETER. BUT THE SHABBY LOOKING OLD TEA TRAY, CARRYING ITS MISMATCHED CROCKERY, HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY, DELIVERING THE QUEEN'S 'BREAKFAST IN BED' AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. GIVEN THE INFAMOUS REVELATION RECENTLY ABOUT THE MONARCH'S USE OF TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS FOR CEREAL, PERHAPS IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT SHE'S HAPPY WITH THE SIMPLER THINGS IN LIFE. HER DAILY ROUTINE HAS STARTED IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THROUGHOUT HER STUNNING 58 YEAR REIGN AS QUEEN. THAT MEANS TEA, WHITE TOAST, BUTTER AND JAM, AND SOMETIMES AN OAT BISCUIT, BROUGHT UP TO HER BEDCHAMBER IN THE ROYAL APARTMENTS AT 8am, ALONG WITH A SELECTION OF THE DAILY PAPERS. APPARENTLY, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH PREFERS RYVITA AND GRANARY TOAST. THE DAILY TRAY IS PREPARED DOWNSTAIRS IN THE PALACE COFFEE ROOM, WERE NATURALLY THERE IS AN AIR OF FORMALITY. A PRINTED SIGN ABOVE THE AREA ON WHICH THE TRAY IS PREPARED READS: 'H.M. THE QUEEN & H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S BREAKFAST TRAY.' AS ANOTHER NOTICE REVEALS, STAFF ARE HOWEVER ENCOURAGED TO INCORPORATE A LITTLE VARIETY BY USING A SELECTION OF PATTERNED CROCKERY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THE 'BELOW STAIRS' REVELATIONS COME AFTER BUCKINGHAM PALACE SET UP ITS OWN TRAINING SCHEME TO CREATE A FLEET OF 'JEEVESES' WHO CAN 'BUTTLE WITH THE BEST'. LAST MONTH IT AWARDED ITS FIRST TWO DIPLOMAS FOR BUTLERS (BOTH TO WOMEN), WHICH IS NOW OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CITY AND GUILDS LEVEL 3 VOCATION QUALIFICATION. ACCORDING TO PALACE STEWARD NIGEL MCEVOY, WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE QUEEN FOR 22 YEARS AND WHOSE BRAINCHILD THE DIPLOMA WAS, A GOOD BUTLER REQUIRES 'DEDICATION AND PASSION'. THERE ARE 20 BUTLERS AND FOOTMEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND OTHER ROYAL RESIDENCES. THEIR DUTIES INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM VALETING TO FLOWER ARRANGING, AND ANTIQUE RESTORATION.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO PRESENT RARE PORTRAIT OF QUEEN VICTORIA

A PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PORTRAIT OF QUEEN VICTORIA AS A GLAMOROUS YOUNG WOMAN IS TO GO ON DISPLAY AT AN EXHIBITION IN LONDON. THE STUNNING PAINTING, COMMISSIONED IN 1843, SHOWS THE QUEEN WITH HER LONG BROWN HAIR LOOSE AROUND HER SHOULDERS, GAZING INTO THE DISTANCE. SHE WAS JUST 24 WHEN PAINTED BY THE GERMAN ARTIST FANZ XAVER WINTERHALTER AND HIS WORK WAS DESCRIBED AS HER HUSBAND PRINCE ALBERT'S "FAVORITE PICTURE". THE ARTWORK IS JUST ONE OF 400 PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCULPTURES WHICH WILL APPEAR IN AN EXHIBITION AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, SHOWING THE QUEEN'S ENTHUSIASM FOR ART. THE EXHIBITION, 'VICTORIA & ALBERT: ART AND LOVE', FOCUSES ON THE TIME BETWEEN HER ACCESSION TO THE THRONE IN 1837 AND ALBERT'S DEATH IN 1861. ONE OF THE QUEEN'S JOURNALS SHOWS HER DELIGHT UPON ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE: "OH! TO FEEL I WAS, AND AM, LOVED BY SUCH AN ANGEL AS ALBERT WAS TOO GREAT A DELIGHT TO DESCRIBE! HE IS PERFECTION IN EVERY WAY - IN BEAUTY, IN EVERYTHING!" JONATHAN MARSDEN, CHIEF CURATOR FOR THE EXHIBITION, SAID THE COLLECTION SHOULD CHALLENGE THE IMAGE OF QUEEN VICTORIA AS A MELANCHOLY WIDOW WHO GRIEVED HER HUSBAND'S DEATH FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THIS EXHIBITION WILL OVERTURN THE POPULAR IMAGE OF QUEEN VICTORIA AND REVEAL AN ENERGETIC, PASSIONATE YOUNG WOMAN WHO DELIGHTED IN THE COMPANY OF ARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS AND WHO IDOLIZED THE OPERA AND BALLET STARS OF THE TIME." "COMMISSIONING AND EXCHANGING ART WAS AT THE VERY HEART OF VICTORIA AND ALBERT'S RELATIONSHIP", HE ADDED

BUCKINGHAM PALACE PRESENTS 'QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: THE ROYAL TOUR'

A COLLECTION OF 28 OF THE QUEEN'S DRESSES HAVE GONE ON DISPLAY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF THE MODERN BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND WILL EVOKE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OVERSEAS TOURS UNDERTAKEN BY THE QUEEN DURING HER REIGN. THE EXHIBITION 'QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: THE ROYAL TOUR' BRINGS TOGETHER EVENING GOWNS, DAY WEAR AND EVEN A KIWI FEATHER CLOAK PRESENTED TO HER MAJESTY BY THE MAORI CHIEFS IN ROTORUA, JANUARY 1954.QUEEN ELIZABETH II IS THE MOST TRAVELED MONARCH AND HAD MADE OVER 170 OFFICIAL VISITS TO COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES ALONE. THE EXHIBITION ALSO INCLUDES JEWELRY AND GIFTS TO THE QUEEN FROM COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, INCLUDING A CHESS SET FROM NELSON MANDELA WHERE THE PIECES REPRESENT ZULU AND NDEBELE PEOPLE WEARING TRADITIONAL COSTUME. THIS SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT SUMMER OPENING OF THE STATE ROOMS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE RUNS FROM 26.JULY TO 30.SEPTEMBER.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION VISIT www.royalcollection.org.uk

BUCKINGHAM PALACE JOINS TWITTER

BUCKINGHAM PALACE RECENTLY LAUNCHED ITSELF AS A TWEETER, AS USERS OF THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE ARE KNOWN, AND IS PROMISING REGULAR UPDATES ON WHAT SENIOR ROYALS ARE GETTING UP TO. A QUICK LOOK AT THE SITE REVEALS ANNOUNCEMENTS OF RECENT ROYAL'S EVENTS SUCH AS THE QUEEN HAVING RECEIVED THE INCOMING POET LAUREATE, PROFESSOR CAROL ANN DUFFY,AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND A LINK TO THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD. BY THIS MORNING ITS HAD 566 POSTINGS AND ALREADY ATTRACTED 5,288 FOLLOWERS (WHICH I AM ONE, NOW) EAGER TO LEARN ABOUT THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF THE QUEEN, PRINCE PHILLIP, PRINCE ANDREW, CHARLES AND CAMILLA. A SPOKESMAN FOR BUCKINGHAM PALACE SAID: 'THE QUEEN HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT IT'S UP AND RUNNING BUT THERE WON'T BE ANY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY TWEETING. THE PAGE WILL BE RUN AS A NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICE WITH LISTINGS OF ENGAGEMENTS AND UPDATES TO ROYAL WEBSITES.' DESPITE RECENTLY CELEBRATING HER 83rd BIRTHDAY, THE QUEEN IS REMARKABLY COMPUTER LITERATE. SHE FREQUENTLY USES THE INTERNET, TEXTS HER GRAND-CHILDREN AND EVEN HAS AN I-POD. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, MEANWHILE, IS A PROLIFIC 'GOOGLER'.
SEE THE ROYALS FAMILY'S TWEETS ON: twitter.com/BritishMonarchy. THE QUEEN ALSO HAS HER OWN WEBSITE www.royal.gov.uk

QUEEN ELIZABETH II INSTALLS VEGETABLE GARDEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR, VEGETABLES ARE NOW BEING GROWN IN BUCKINGHAM PALACE'S GROUNDS ALONGSIDE THE GRAND ORNAMENTAL PLANTINGS. THE MOVE COMES AMID A RECENT SURGE IN DEMAND FROM PEOPLE UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE THEIR OWN ALLOTMENT TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD DURING THE HARDENING RECESSION. THE QUEEN'S ORGANIC GARDEN IS ABOUT 10 YARDS BY EIGHT YARDS IN SIZE, AND IS AT THE REAR OF THE GARDENS IN AN AREA WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE 'YARD BED'. GUESTS ATTENDING THE QUEEN'S GARDEN PARTIES WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HER NEW ALLOTMENT OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS. IN 1918, THERE WAS A VEGETABLE GARDEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE WHICH WAS USED TO GROW TURNIPS, AND DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR VEGETABLES WERE ALSO GROWN AT WINDSOR CASTLE.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE'S GARDENS COVER OVER 40 ACRES, AND IT INCLUDES A HELICOPTER LANDING AREA, A FOUR ACRE LAKE, AND A TENNIS COURT WHERE KING GEORGE VI OFTEN PLAYED. IT IS HOME TO 30 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BIRDS AND MORE THAN 350 DIFFERENT WILD FLOWERS AND PLANTS, SOME EXTREMELY RARE AND ENDANGERED. THE GARDENS CAN COMFORTABLY ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN 7,000 GUESTS AT EACH OF THE QUEEN'S ANNUAL GARDEN PARTIES.