In only two months of the year can foreigners get in to see the Houses of Parliament, though British citizens can arrange to go anytime. Those months are August and September, which are also the only months when anyone (British or foreign, the public, that is) can get into the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. (I'm not talking about people who have connections, I mean anybody, like some readers and certainly me.) The exact dates are August 3 to September 28 for Parliament and August 4 to September 29 for the State Rooms. So these are the months you should aim for if you're a fan of our democratic roots and/or of the British royal family.
In the State Rooms of Buck House, as British toffs (toffee-nosed, that is, a term for the upper class used by the lower) call it, you can see paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Canaletto and Poussin, as well as Sevres porcelain and fine English and French furniture. You can also take a gander at the palace gardens. More details at www.royal.gov.uk/output/page555.asp.
In Parliament, you'll see much of the huge "Palace of Westminster," as it is called, including the chambers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Among the many rooms to visit are the Queen's Robing Room, the Royal Gallery, the Prince's Chamber, Peers' Lobby and Corridor, Central Lobby (where a prime minister was assassinated in the 19th century), the "No" lobby, St. Stephen's and Westminster halls, and New Palace Yard. More details can be seen at www.parliament.uk/parliament/SummerOpeninginfo.htm.
The weather is usually at its best during these two months, and many locals (including the Queen and members of Parliament) are away on their vacations, so London will be thronged mostly with visitors like yourself, but many of the latter won't even suspect Parliament and Buck House are open to view.
You'll need a place to stay, and once again, I'm recommending Coach House London Vacation Rentals, which you can look up at www.rentals.chslondon.com.
Some properties they still have available during August and September include:
- An Eaton Place apartment, grand and sumptuous, at one of London's "best addresses," sleeping two persons for $310 a night
- A beautiful flat in the prime Knightsbridge shopping area (opposite Harrods), sleeping six persons for $305 a night; a modern family flat (the last word in high tech living, they say) in Earls Court, sleeping a family of five for $245 a night
- A modern apartment in North Kensington with car park and use of pool and fitness center, sleeping four persons for $235 a night
- A 1930s style apartment overlooking Hyde Park sleeping two persons for $160 per night
- The Coach House itself, a Victorian carriage house, from just $45 per person per night, including a full English breakfast
Contact Coach House London Vacation Rentals at their Web site mentioned above for more details on lodging.