July 28, 2003 -- Ever dreamed of living like royalty? However untenable that might actually be, you can give it a vicarious shot with a visit to London in the next couple of months when two unique yearly opportunities arise. You won't have to break the bank, either (but if you do, we've got some suggestions for that, too).
You've read here recently about enjoying London on a strict budget, and our Frommer's guidebooks have no real competitors in setting you straight on money matters. But if you want to splurge (hey, it is your money), there's no better place then London. Anywhere from $100 a day per person up to about $500 will get you from one extreme to the other.
Why August and September? These are the ONLY months when you can go inside two of London's most famous and historic buildings -- Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.
At Buckingham Palace, the Queen will have made her annual exit for Scotland, so you can visit the State Rooms between August 1 and September 28, 2003. Some of her most reassured artwork is here, with paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and Canaletto, as well as sculpture by Canova, some Sevres porcelain and outstanding English and French furniture. Admission is £12 ($19). More details and tickets at www.royal.gov.uk/output/page555.asp.
A little-known group to the public is the Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity that receives no public funding, but is responsible for conservation work necessary to preserve four of London's greatest jewels -- the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and the Banqueting House. Simply visiting these places is worth a special trip to Britain, but in addition to the magnificent sense of history they provide, the palaces also have special events year round.
At The Tower of London throughout August, 2003, are displays of martial skill just as Elizabeth I and her court would have witnessed. Two knights of the 1570s prepare for combat with arms and armor and then joust on the south lawn. A new exhibit, "Torture at the Tower," opened in the spring, and can be visited after you've seen the Crown Jewels and other highlights of this historic place. (A hint: For the jewels, you don't have to restrict yourself to the moving sidewalk that coasts you past the crowns and scepters, but can simply go up to the stationery platform above the beltway and take your time absorbing the view from there.) Admission £11.30, about $18. Phone 0870/756-7070.
At Hampton Court Palace, throughout August, the Great Watching Chamber will be filled with the sounds of music from Merry England, by the composers and poets favored of Elizabeth I. A royal impersonator will be "in residence" and will answer your questions, too, if you're not too impertinent. From September 20-28, the Tudor Kitchens will come to life with a display of Elizabethan techniques focusing on food preparation. Costumed historians will be cooking and experimenting with preserving recipes from the late 16th century. Admission £17.50, about $28. Phone 0870/752-7777.
Hats and handbags, at least 70 of the former, belonging to the present Queen will be on display until April 18, 2004, at Kensington Palace, where you can also see some rooms open to the public (several members of the royal family still reside here). Admission £10, about $16. Phone 0870/751-5180. Over at the Banqueting House, you can hear the Choir of the Chapels Royal HM Tower of London on September 8, 2003. Tickets £15 each, including wine and nibbles from 12:15 PM. Phone 0870/751-5187 for concert information only.
You can avoid queuing up by purchasing tickets to the above palaces in advance. Visit the Historic Royal Palaces website, www.hrp.org.uk or phone the palaces directly as indicated above. You can also buy tickets (and travel) to Hampton Court Palace from any staffed Southwest Trains station. Tower of London tickets are available at London Underground Stations. Note that joint tickets to the Tower and Hampton Court are available, too. And all the palaces have lower admission prices for seniors and students, children, and family groups.
Staying in Style
If you want to live among the natives, so to speak, consider Coach House London Vacation rentals, where the staff will put you into apartments and houses of London residents who are temporarily away from home. Some properties available in August and September include a 6-bedroom house in Kensington, sleeping 10, for $625 a night; a luxury houseboat on the Thames with use of pool and fitness center, sleeping six, for $300 a night; a beautiful apartment in trendy Chelsea, sleeping three, for $225 a night; a room in the Coach House, $45 per person per night, including a big English breakfast. Contact them at www.rentals.chslondon.com.
A fun place to stay, and really convenient for Royal London (across the street from the Royal Mews behind Buckingham Palace) is The Rubens, where a double room runs from £160 to £225 (about $250 to $360), though affable manager Paul Hemmings says these rack rates can be negotiated down to perhaps £120 ($192) and up, pending availability. A traditional hotel, it has a charming Library restaurant, a pleasant lounge, and armchair views across the street to see the Queen's carriages pulling out. (Not to mention horse drawn delivery wagons from Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and the like.) 39 Buckingham Palace road, London SW1W OPS, phone 20/7834-6600, bookrb@rchmail.com, website www.rubens.hotel.com. And don't overlook their associated restaurant, bbar, next door, where the South African food and decor will both surprise and please you.
A "Sizzling Summer" package is available through August 31, with rates (for two persons) starting at $347 per room for the two nights, and including a deluxe room, welcome cocktail or glass of wine on arrival, afternoon tea on one day, picnic basket for lunch in the park (St. James's Park is nearby) on one day, early arrival and late check-out (until 4 PM). Rates do not include taxes. A similar package is available at the Rubens' sister hotels, which are the Chesterfield Mayfair and the Montague on the Gardens. For reservations phone 877/955-1515 or email bookrb@rchmail.com.
If you want your own key to the door, and privacy guarded by a skilled staff, consider 41, next door to the Rubens and under the same management, where the 20 rooms go from £220 ($352), breakfast included, and a 24/7 snack bar. If you want to shoot the moon, consider their duplex Master Suite, with rollback roof, at £500 ($800)! 41 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W OPS, phone (+44)20/7300-0041, book41@rchmail.com, website www.41hotel.com.
The Last Word in Hotels
Should you want to stay in London's most historic hotel, and see the landed gentry taking tea on weekend afternoons, there is no question but that the Savoy is the ultimate in the royal panoply. The Thames Foyer where you have tea now was, in fact, the location of the present queen's Coronation Ball back in 1953. Moreover, you're right next door to Covent Garden, where the high and mighty in the arts (The Royal Opera House) rub shoulders with common folk (Covent Garden Arcade & Shops), including outdoor bungee bouncing in good weather.
You needn't take out a mortgage to stay here, as The Savoy Group allows you to book online for rooms as low as £149 ($250). The Group consists of the Savoy, The Connaught, Claridge's and The Berkeley, the four most prestigious hotels in England's capital city.
Rack rates in Savoy Group hotels for a "Relative Values" package start at £299 ($500) per night for two interconnecting rooms, VAT (Value Added Taxes) additional. In addition to the two rooms, you get a free teddy bear for each child (from, in my opinion, the world's best children's department store, Hamley's), and a discount voucher there. All four hotels offer child-friendly equipment and services, including highchairs, babysitting, Family Sky TV, video games, magazines and special menus. The Savoy and The Berkeley feature swimming pools, with a retractable roof at the latter. The Relative Values package and the web rates mentioned are available from now through September 7, 2003.
For more information and reservations, phone 800/63 SAVOY or visit www.savoygroup.com.
