Buckingham Palace opens the room behind its famous balcony to the public

LONDON — Buckingham Palace’s famous balcony room, where the monarch and other members of the royal family gather on special occasions before greeting cheering crowds in the streets below, is opening to the public for the first time.

For royal fans who have waited for hours on The Mall in central London to catch a glimpse of the clan during their brief balcony appearances at events such as Trooping the Colour, this could be a chance to see things from the royal perspective.

Unfortunately, visitors won’t be able to step out onto the balcony itself, so a peek through the mesh curtains will have to suffice.

The 45-minute guided tours, which run from July 15 to August 31, are already sold out, despite a hefty £75 (about $97) price tag. They follow more than five years of renovations to Buckingham Palace’s East Wing, which aim to preserve and improve access to the historic building for future generations, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

“Be one of the first visitors to enjoy an exclusive guided tour of the highlights of the East Wing of Buckingham Palace,” the Royal Collection Trust says on its website, adding that visitors will be able to discover the “spaces beyond the famous façade” of the palace.

The Central Wing Room, as the room behind the balcony is officially called, will likely be the most anticipated part of the tour. Last month, Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined other members of the royal family on the balcony to celebrate the king’s official birthday, in her first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.

In the central room, a glass lotus flower chandelier will be on display, alongside two 18th-century Chinese silk wall hangings, which were given to Queen Victoria by the Emperor of China to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. In the Yellow Drawing Room, 18th-century hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, as well as two Chinese porcelain pagodas, will be on display.

Visitors to the new tour will also be able to wander through the main corridor of the wing and admire works by English painters Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence and German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

The influence of Asian art on the interior decoration and exhibitions of the East Wing dates back to 1850, when Brighton Pavilion, a seaside residence belonging to George IV, Queen Victoria’s uncle, was sold to finance the construction of the new Royal Wing.

George IV’s collection of Asian art and ceramics, which he had previously kept at his estate on the south coast of England, was transferred to the palace, where it remains today.

Victoria and Prince Albert were the first members of the Royal Family to use Buckingham Palace as a family residence, following their marriage in 1840. The East Wing was built shortly afterwards, between 1847 and 1849, to accommodate their growing family.

Today, Buckingham Palace is mainly used for official meetings and events. The new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recently met with King Charles III at the palace, where the king formally asked him to form a new government.

The renovation of the east wing is part of a much larger – and more expensive – renovation of the entire palace, which is expected to last 10 years.

During the process, floors were removed, new elevators were installed and thousands of artworks and objects were temporarily removed to allow restoration work to begin.

With a budget of £369 million ($478 million), this vast programme of works left a hole in the royal finances.

Official figures showed the royal household spent more money than it earned in 2022-23, partly because of what it described as “significant” renovations to the palace.

Tours of the East Wing are now fully booked for the summer, but if you still want to explore the royal home, tickets to visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are still available, with tours running seven days a week until September 29.

Advance tickets for the State Rooms tour cost £32 ($41) for adults and £16 ($21) for children aged 5 to 17.