Buckingham Palace, built by
William Wilde in 1705 for John
Sheffield, the first Duke of Buck-
ingham, became a royal residence
in 1762, when it was purchased
by George III as a private home
for his young bride Charlotte.
Ever since, the palace has been
nicknamed "The Queen's House."
In 1825, George IV commissioned
John Nash to redesign the palace,
but it remained unfinished until
the reign of Queen Victoria, who
moved into the palace in 1837.
After the death of King Albert in
1861, Victoria left Buckingham
Palace, only to return for state
occasions. In 1913, the palace
underwent its final redesign; a
new facade was added by Sir
Aston Webb as a backdrop for
the Victoria Memorial statue.
All monarchs since Victoria have
kept Buckingham Palace as their
principal residence. Today, Queen
Elizabeth II lives in a fraction of
the 600-room palace in a suite of
around a dozen rooms in the
corner of the first floor
overlooking Green Park. The royal
standard flies over the palace
and the famous changing of the
guard ceremony takes place daily
when the Queen is in residence.