London, Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, one of several castles owned by the British Royal family was constructed originally as a country house in 1705 by the duke of Buckingham, John Sheffield. King George IV started to expand the house into a palace under the supervision of the architect John Nash. In 1850 the large east wing was added, which includes a large 40 metre long ballroom. The large façade which can be seen from the Mall was built in 1913 by Aston Webb. The building includes three wings and a court yard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The statue in front of the Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial.
