The Queen's Gallery

Frommer's Review

The refurbished gallery on the grounds of Buckingham Palace reopened to the public in 2002 in time for the Golden Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors going through the Doric portico entrance will find three times as much space as before. The 1831 building by John Nash was converted to a chapel for Queen Victoria in 1843 and later destroyed in an air raid in 1940. Today, the gallery is dedicated to changing exhibitions of the wide-ranging treasure trove that forms the Royal Collection. You'll find special showings of paintings, prints, drawings, watercolors, furniture, porcelain, miniatures, enamels, jewelry, and other works of art. At any given time, you may see such artistic peaks as Van Dyck's equestrian portrait of Charles I; the world-famous Lady at the Virginal, by Vermeer; a dazzling array of gold snuffboxes; paintings by Monet from the collection of the late Queen Mother; personal jewelry; studies by Leonardo da Vinci; and even the recent and very controversial portrait of the current queen by Lucian Freud.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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