As the King’s official residence opens its doors to the public for the annual State Rooms summer opening, GLT’s Alice Tegg gets a look at this year’s display, which includes a transformed Picture Gallery.
On Thursday I swapped the sweltering London heat for the cool of the Royal residence, joining the first wave of hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to visit Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms now that they’re open for the summer.
Until 27th September, groups are invited to wander through the magnificent State Rooms where The King and members of the Royal Family host official ceremonies and occasions. Highlights include the Blue and Green Drawing Rooms, climbing the Grand Staircase and the option of Afternoon Tea overlooking the palace gardens.
An audio guide is provided and goes into detail about the treasures in each room, the art on display, and stories of special events that have taken place in these historic rooms since the 1800s.
I found the Music Room particularly memorable, with its striking columns, chandeliers installed by George IV, and a beautiful golden yellow piano situated by the windows overlooking the garden. The room has had many uses over the years, including playing host to the christenings of King Charles III and his son, Prince William.
A rare redisplay
Several upgrades have been made in time for this year’s opening. The most significant update is in the Picture Gallery: the long sky-lit room has had a major redisplay, regarded as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ change.
The number of paintings on display has almost doubled from 63 to 120, featuring more works by some of the world’s greatest artists including Gainsborough, Rembrandt and Rubens.
A highlight of the redisplay is The Tribuna of the Uffizi by Johan Zoffany, a unique and extremely detailed piece showing the famed Florentine gallery. The striking painting caught my eye from across the room thanks to its many figures and intricate details. It was originally commissioned by Queen Charlotte but reportedly never displayed because the Royal didn’t like its busy style.
Anna Reynolds, surveyor of The King’s pictures, said: “This re-hang is an exciting and rare opportunity to significantly increase the number of world-class paintings on display for visitors, in line with our charitable aim to share as much of the Royal Collection as possible.”
Further updates for 2026
Groups will also notice that the walls of the Picture Gallery have been redressed in a rich emerald-green silk damask. The walls have changed colour many times over the years, including golden yellow, lilac and crimson, but this is the first update in 50 years with the green patterned fabric replacing the coral pink velvet wall hangings that were installed in 1976.
Reynolds said that the updates continue “the long-standing tradition of renovations and re-hangs in the Picture Gallery that have commonly taken place following a change of reign and we are delighted to be able to share it with as many people as possible this summer.”
Also newly on display this summer is a large oil portrait of His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo, the first official portrait completed after His Majesty’s coronation. The modern artwork depicts The King entirely in hues of red, and can be seen on display in the Silk Tapestry Room adjacent to the Picture Gallery. It’s very striking, especially as it stands in complete contrast to the traditional paintings hanging in the gallery beside it.
Another highlight for me was seeing the Coronation State Portraits of Their Majesties The King and Queen displayed in the Throne Room, opposite freshly upholstered thrones. Unusually, they chose different artists to paint their individual artworks; King Charles chose to be painted by Peter Kuhfeld and Queen Camilla selected Paul S. Benney. These were first unveiled early last year and moved to Buckingham Palace in time for the State Rooms opening last summer.
Look up!
Don’t forget to take in the intricate details of the ceilings of each State Room. Every room has something unique to look at, from Shakespeare’s appearance above the doors in the Blue Drawing Room to the coloured crests of England, Ireland and Scotland looking down over the Throne Room.
While undergoing maintenance with parts boarded up, The Ballroom is still included on the route through the palace. Luckily, the gold organ that stands tall at one end of the grand room was still on show during my visit, setting the scene for the opulent occasions that have taken place here over many decades.
Group visits to Buckingham Palace
The State Rooms experience took approximately 50 minutes and included around 15 rooms and notable areas. The tour ended as the doors opened into the palace gardens, where there is a café overlooking the lawns serving a limited edition Buckingham Palace Afternoon Tea. The path snaked towards the exit, taking me past the gift shop, the lake, and an ice cream parlour - a blessing in this heatwave!
Groups of 15 or more receive discounted rates for visits to the State Rooms, as well as the exclusive option of combining the State Rooms with a guided walking tour of the palace gardens.
Find out more about group visits to the palace here. Groups can also call the dedicated groups team on 0303 123 7321.
