London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Mar 03, 2026

Queen opens Buckingham Palace gardens for picnics this summer

Queen opens Buckingham Palace gardens for picnics this summer

Green fingered enthusiasts will be able to freely roam the gardens of London's historic Buckingham Palace this summer, as Queen Elizabeth II allows self-guided tours of the grounds for the first time in the palace's history.

The 39-acre gardens of the palace -- which is the Queen's official London residence -- will allow paying visitors to tour the garden and picnic on its "sweeping lawns" from July to September.

Access to some areas of the garden have previously been included as part of guided tours to Buckingham Palace, but visitors will now be able to explore a much larger area, the Royal Collection Trust told CNN Thursday.

Members of the public will be able to enjoy rare flora and fauna and meadows "carpeted with primroses and bluebells... flowering camellia, magnolia and azalea shrubs and trees," said the Royal Collection Trust in a press release.

A striking 156-meter Herbaceous Border can be viewed within the gardens.


The current landscape design dates back to the 1820s when, on King George IV's instruction, Buckingham House first became a palace, said the Royal Collection Trust.

History of the site dates back to the the reign of James I, who was thought to have reared silkworms there. The building itself was originally built in 1705 as a large home before being expanded into a palace.

It features a collection of Mulberry trees and a range of "rare native plants seldom seen in London," including a 156-meter Herbaceous Border, and trees planted by, and named after, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Views of a large lake and of the palace beehives can also be taken in on self-guided tours.

Meanwhile, guided garden tours will offer access to the south west garden, which features a summer house, rose garden and wildflower meadow.

In line with the easing of some coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England, guided tours will also be offered inside Buckingham Palace itself between May and September.

The Rose Garden and summer house can be seen as part of guided tours.


These tours, the Royal Collection Trust said, will give visitors access to the palace's "magnificent" rooms, which have been furnished with "some of the greatest treasures of the Royal Collection" including "the finest English and French furniture in the world" and "exquisite" porcelain and artworks.

For those unable to visit Buckingham Palace in person, online guides will also be streamed live from Buckingham Palace over the summer, as well as Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
United Airlines Passenger Hears Cockpit Conversations After Accessing In-Flight Audio Channel
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
FTSE 100 Reaches Fresh Record Highs as Major Share Buybacks and Earnings Lift London Stocks
So, what's happened is, I think, government policy, not just under Labour, but under the Conservatives as well, has driven a lot of small landlords out of business.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
From fears of AI-fuelled unemployment to Big Tech's record investment, this is AI Weekly.
Apple just dropped iOS 26.4.
US Lawmakers Seek Briefing from UK Over Reported Encryption Order Directed at Apple
UK Business Secretary Calls on EU to Remove Trade Barriers Hindering Growth
Legal Pathways for Removing Prince Andrew from Britain’s Line of Succession Examined
PM Netanyahu welcome India PM Narendra Modi to Israel
×