Buckingham Palace

Hard to believe that one of the world's most famous palaces started life as a simple townhouse - built not for a monarch but for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Queen Victoria was the first royal to actually live here, moving in during 1837, though she promptly complained it was too small. With 775 rooms she may have had a point. Keep an eye on the flagpole - when the Royal Standard flies, the King is home. And despite the armed guards, the gilded gates and the thousands of tourists, the palace has a surprisingly patchy security record - your guide will reveal some of the more extraordinary break-in stories that have left the royal household rather red-faced over the years. From its unlikely origins to the balcony moments that have defined the modern monarchy, there is far more to this building than meets the eye.

Buckingham Palace is the destination, but The Mall is the red carpet. This dead-straight ceremonial avenue was originally a croquet lawn - the game "pall mall" gave it its name, before it was reinvented as London's grandest processional route. The flags lining both sides represent every Commonwealth nation, so on a breezy day it feels like the whole world is welcoming you to the palace. This is where London stages its greatest spectacles: Trooping the Colour, royal wedding processions, and the victory parades that marked the end of two world wars. As you pass, your guide will point out Clarence House and St James's Palace - between them these two buildings have housed monarchs, princes and the odd royal scandal for the better part of five centuries.