<P> Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 3" N 0 ° 8 ′ 31" W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.50083 ° N 0.14194 ° W ﻿ / 51.50083; - 0.14194 </P> <P> Buckingham Palace (UK: / ˈbʌkɪŋəm ˈpælɪs /) is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom . Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality . It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning . </P> <P> Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years . It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House . During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard . Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 . </P> <P> The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the well - known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds . The palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb during World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection . </P>

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