Joanna James
With the young royals making headlines, there isn't a single person who hasn't heard of the Royal Family. To get a taste of their lives, there isn't a better way than to explore the royal attractions.
This undoubtedly takes precedence over all the other attractions. The royal residence where the Queen lives – Buckingham Palace – is one of the few palaces in the world that are up and running. The palace has 775 rooms decorated lavishly to fit the status of the royal family. Extravagantly bedecked staterooms are open for visitors during the summer. This iconic tourist attraction has turned London into a popular tourist destination, consequently giving rise to hotels such as Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel – one of the hotels in Bayswater London – and other tourist-friendly facilities.
This was the residence of the playboy in British history – King Henry VIII – who married six wives no less. The palace is thought to be haunted with the ghostly presence of the king's wives: Anne Boleyn who was beheaded, Jane Seymour who died at childbirth and Catherine Howard who was also beheaded when she was 17 years of age. The Hampton Court Place is not occupied – so there you have the chance to explore the entire palace.
The residence of the Duke and Duchess – William and Kate – Kensington Palace has quite a distinctive heritage. The palace is where Queen Victoria was born, and it was home to Princess of Wales, Diana. At Victoria Revealed exhibition – held at the palace – you can have a look at young Victoria's diaries and some of the letters she's written.
The oldest and the largest castle in the world, Windsor Castle is said to be the Queen's favourite residence. St. Georges Chapel, the state apartments and Queen Mary's Doll House are worth a trip.
Once a notorious prison, the Tower of London was where King Henry VIII's wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were imprisoned and later executed. It has rather an unpleasant past, but later it was used as an armoury, an observatory, a treasury – also, the tower once housed the Royal Mint of Britain. Today it has been reformed into a museum where the gems that make the Crown Jewels are displayed.
The UNESCO world heritage site, Westminster Abbey is where the coronations since 1066 were held as well as the royal weddings; the most recent wedding was Williams and Kate's wedding in 2011. The abbey is embellished by stained glass and stone engravings and is built in gothic style. This is the resting place for seventeen monarchs and prominent figures in history such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Geoffrey Chaucer, Rudyard Kipling and Sir Isaac Newton.
Stretching over 360 acres, Hype Park was king Henry VII's private deer park. The park has been open to the public ever since it was decided in 1635. While at the park, you can pay respects to Princess Diana at Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain and listen to people sharing their views of the world at Speaker's Corner.
Located right next to Buckingham Palace, St James's Park was once a hunting ground for the Tudors. There is a bunch of pelicans and waterfowls for you to look at. You can sit on a bench and take in the beautiful surroundings – you never know, you might even be welcomed by one of the pelicans who adorn the park with their presence.
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