Buckingham Palace Tour: The Throne Room

Order of the Bath investiture at the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. Painted by Louis Haghe in 1855.

When John Nash designed Buckingham Palace, he envisioned it as a showcase of the crown’s power and grandeur, and where else to demonstrate these than in the palace’s Throne Room. Famous for its luxurious red wall paper, elaborate gilded ceiling, and sparkling chandeliers, the Throne Room features two thrones on the dais, with the Queen and Prince Philip’s monogram. Above these two thrones is a proscenium arch supported by a pair of winged figures of 'victory' holding garlands. 

Before the palace’s ballroom was constructed in the 1850s, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert used to host spectacular balls at the Throne Room in the 1840s. More than 200 candles brighten the room, making it hot and inconvenient considering the stifling press of bodies. Adding on to everyone’s dismay were the wax drips that poured on the wigs and elaborate dresses of the guests. 

Today the Throne Room is a grand venue for formal photo shoots with heads of state while providing a fitting background for family portraits after royal weddings.