The original shelter is now used to store film and video tape. Among those who seem to have been selected to be preserved as part of the British elite are key staff of the BBC. No, seriously! Buckingham Palace features 775 rooms. Pictures give a glimpse into the run-down remains of one of the UK's Regional Seats of Government, which would have acted as a base for operations in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack. In fact, the royal family would not need to go far for shelter. Those massive bearskin hats, 18 inches in height, can weigh up to nine pounds! 1 decade ago. Anonymous. Relevance. Finally, if the Queen had been not in London when nuclear attack threatened, but in the country, there is another place she could have gone to deliver her broadcast. Assumes a bunker mentality, keeps its head down, and quietly presses on with what needs to be done. Buckingham Palace is not only the home of the Queen and Prince Philip but also the London residence of the Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and the Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and his wife) and their daughter. Mostly these appear at street level as unattractive circular blockhouses near the tube station entrances, but one, near the Goodge Street station entrance in central London, is larger and more impressive. There’s never been any hint that Buckingham Palace comes equipped with its own nuclear holocaust survival bunker. She returns to Buckingham Palace some time on Monday. Opening Times 2020. However, it's very probable that Buckingham Palace *does* have underground tunnels. It began as Buckingham House, built by the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, and that's all it was - just a large house sold to King George III in 1761 and much extended later. Despite the palace serving as an important place for the royal family, the Queen does not in fact privately own the residence. Take a look inside the Cold War bunker where The Queen and her family would have fled had there ever been a nuclear attack on Britain. Winston Churchill inspects the ruins of the House of Commons after a night raid in May 1941. Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and The Tower of London Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace There are two detachments of the Queen's Guard in London, one each for Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, under the command of the captain of the Queen's Guard. 'But anyone over 18 can volunteer to help them with their work and they will then get a full tour of the bunker. That changed after he found out an organisation is working on restoring the bunker. One unique to itself. But because they are both in the age range where they are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and have already taken precautions with their living arrangements and a smaller staff amid the pandemic, they are due to remain at Windsor Castle for the time being. Nor did Churchill exactly cower in the subterranean Cabinet War Rooms. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. The structure, 100ft beneath the surface, had 10ft thick reinforced concrete walls and metal blast doors, The shots were snapped by Manchester artist, photographer and film maker Andrew Brooks, 39, as part of his Secret Cities project, He said: 'We got deeper into the bunker system and eventually found our way down a tunnel and the three levels to an old maintenance room', He added: 'I found the experience of exploring the bunkers very intense. During the Second World War, while London was being pounded by the Luftwaffe, a number of tunnels were commissioned, joining Government offices in Whitehall with other key buildings nearby. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. This previously painfully shy man, tortured by his stuttering, became outgoing and sympathetic to the most hard hit of his subjects. It's pretty certain that Buckingham Palace would have been included in that network. Buckingham Palace is recognised the world over and is one of the most recognised buildings in the world. In the early 50s, as Cold … Buckingham Palace is also an office. It is the London residence of Her Majesty The Queen and is one of only a few working royal palaces left in the world. What was significantly absent from this revelation was any indication of the location from where the Queen would have delivered this speech. While US Presidents over the years have made state visits to the UK, and have visited Buckingham Palace, Woodrow Wilson was the first. The Regional Seats of Government were one of the key elements of Britain's plans to survive a nuclear onslaught. To the outside world, everything looks to be at a standstill – no cinemas are open, and there isn’t one huge release on the calendar until James Bond in early April. It was the first time the Queen had ever pushed out a private secretary – and now it has emerged that complaints made by Prince Charles. Do not, however, be misled by that name into thinking you can visit and see memorabilia. All rights reserved. The comments below have not been moderated. It has to be one of the creepiest places I've visited', The bunker at Barnton Quarry was used as an RAF fighter command operations room during World War Two before advances in technology made radar stations redundant, 'There was a real apocalyptic feel to the space which I think you can see in the pictures. Yes. The fire brigade was called and the fire was rapidly extinguished. Rumours of a Buckingham Palace tunnel persist despite lack of evidence) ... manor houses and passageways carved through sold rock to help monks escape persecution during the Reformation seem to have given way to Cold War nuclear bunkers not yet revealed, escape tunnels connecting royals and VIPs to transport hubs, and any other hidden subterranean that may or may not have any basis in … Weirdly, the first part of this speech lacks urgency. When Buckingham Palace is open, visitors can pay up to £49 to view parts of the building. 'They have asked me to mention the site is secure 24/7 so can't be accessed except through them,' he said. Though there are probably more today in the form of secret rooms and possibly a fallout bunker. 13. That is, until the president ran into a little rodent problem. Favorite Answer. She still does today what her parents did before her. If Her Majesty happened to be in London on a Sunday, which is extremely rare she has a few options at her disposal. It isn’t, however, her favourite home. Buckingham Palace (UK: / ˈ b ʌ k ɪ ŋ ə m /) is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The whole bunker had been set on fire a few years before our visit, so every wall was black with soot and every surface marked and damaged', Although it was classed as a secret government building, its existence was made public on Good Friday in 1963 when a group known as Spies for Peace revealed details of it and thirteen other regional seats of government in the UK, Andrew said he had held back from sharing his pictures as he felt the place was unsafe and did not want to draw attention to it, That need for secrecy changed after he found out an organisation is working on restoring the bunker to its former glory, 'They have asked me to mention the site is secure 24/7 so can't be accessed except through them,' he said. Buckingham Palace wasn't immune to the effects of the Blitz. That means American heads of state have only been visiting the Queen for around 100 years. Measuring 175ft long, the bunker – known to high command as Pawn: Protected Area Wood Norton – remains ready for service in the event of an attack on London. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. © 2021 Condé Nast. It was hit nine times, some of them when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) were in residence. However, she does, in fact, use the pool at Buckingham Palace from time to time. It has recently been revealed that in the 1980s, in a last bout of Cold War paranoia, a speech was prepared for the Queen to deliver if her realm was about to be vaporized by a nuclear attack. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN A small fire which broke out on the evening of Sunday 2 June has been contained. 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