Uk Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 10, London: St Paul's Cathedral, Majestic Mews, Buckingham Palace

DAY 10, MAY 7, 2013, TUES (23°C - 9°C):

St Paul's Cathedral:

St Paul's Cathedral sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest call for inward the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates dorsum to the master copy church building on this site, founded inward AD 604.

The introduce church, dating from the belatedly 17th century, was designed inward the English linguistic communication Baroque vogue too was component division of a major rebuilding programme which took identify inward the urban center subsequently the Great Fire of London.

At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest edifice inward London from 1710 to 1962, too its dome is also alongside the highest inward the world. In damage of area, St Paul's is the 2d largest church building edifice inward the Britain subsequently Liverpool Cathedral.

It has survived 2 bombs during WW1.

The lowest degree of the dome is the golden gallery too the side past times side is the stone gallery

We climbed upwards the dome to the Whispering Gallery — it has unique acoustics; a whisper on i side tin give the axe live heard clearly 100 feet away.

Climbed 271 to a greater extent than steps too reached the Golden Gallery at the real top of the dome too had panoramic views across London.

We so climbed downward too saw a grouping of crude oil youngsters galloping upwards the stairs. We were real thankful nosotros had been the outset to become upwards too bask a peaceful climb too gorgeous views inward serenity.

The interior is great. These are some pics from the net.

We looked through all the memorials.

The largest monument inward the cathedral is that to the Duke of Wellington past times Alfred Stevens. It stands on the N side of the nave too has on top a statue of Wellington astride his horse.

The crypt also contains over 200 memorials too numerous burials. Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul's was the outset someone to live interred, inward 1723. On the wall higher upwards his tomb inward the crypt is written, "Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice" (Reader, if you lot seek his monument, await around you).

Also inward the crypt, direct nether the dome, is the tomb of admiral Nelson. The marble sarcophagus which holds his remains was made for Cardinal Wolsey but was disused equally the primal cruel from favour.

Important services held at St Paul's direct maintain included:

the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill too Margaret Thatcher;

Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria;

peace services mark the cease of the First too Second World Wars;

the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, too Lady Diana Spencer,

the launch of the Festival of Britain too the thanksgiving services for the Golden Jubilee, the 80th Birthday too the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The gift store has some interesting items.

Chessmen equally component division of the choir—appropriate souvenir from St Paul's gift shop.

Royal Mews:

We went on to the royal mews next—Home to the royal Collection of Historic Coaches too Carriages

The horses stabled at the Mews are Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays, breeds chosen for their steady temperament and stamina.

This is a landau— four-wheeled, convertible carriage.

It is lightweight too suspended on elliptical springs. It was invented inward the 18th century; It was named subsequently the High German urban center of Landau where they were outset produced. coachmakers of Holborn, London, produced the outset English linguistic communication landaus inward the 1830s.

The soft folding top is divided into 2 sections, forepart too rear, latched at the center. These usually prevarication perfectly flat, but the dorsum department tin give the axe live allow downward or thrown dorsum piece the forepart department tin give the axe live removed or left stationary. When fully opened, the top tin give the axe completely embrace the passengers,

The landau's pump department powerfulness incorporate a fixed full-height glazed door, or to a greater extent than usually a depression half-door.

This is a 4 horse-drawn wagon used past times the British Royal Family.

The coach was built inward 1830 for Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. In 1920, the household unit of measurement returned the coach to the Royal Family past times presenting it equally a gift to Queen Mary.

Large drinking glass windows too transparent panels inward the roof were added, equally good equally the Royal Arms too the insignia of the Order of the Thistle beingness emblazoned onto it too a model of the Crown of Scotland was added on top of the roof.

The coach was used for the outset fourth dimension past times Queen Elizabeth II during the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland inward 1969; past times Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother inward 1977 during the thanksgiving service for her daughter's Silver Jubilee. The Queen too the Duke of Edinburgh also used it at Windsor during the Queen's sixtieth birthday celebrations inward 1986 The wagon was used in i lawsuit to a greater extent than inward 2011 to chauffeur the Queen too Duke of Edinburgh at the Wedding of Prince William too Catherine Middleton.

This is the Irish Gaelic phase coach—has deco on the crown's sides...

The Irish Gaelic State Coach is an enclosed, four-horse-drawn wagon used past times the British Royal Family. It is the traditional horse-drawn coach inward which the British monarch travels from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster to formally opened upwards the novel legislative session of the UK Parliament.

The master copy Irish Gaelic State Coach was built inward 1851 past times the Lord Mayor of Dublin. It was extensively damaged past times burn downward inward 1911, too completely restored inward 1989 past times the Royal Mews wagon restorers. The exterior is bluish too dark with gilt ornamentation too the interior is covered inward bluish damask. It is usually driven from the box topographic point using 4 horses.

Rolls Royce Phantom.

The Australian State Coach is an enclosed, vi horse-drawn wagon used past times the British Royal Family. The coach was presented to Queen Elizabeth II of Commonwealth of Australia too the Britain equally the official gift on the occasion of the Australian Bicentennial on 8 May 1988; the coach is fitted with electrical windows, heating too hydraulic stabilisers.

The Glass coach is i of the principal State carriages of the British monarch. Built inward 1881

It is used each twelvemonth on diverse State occasions, but has most famously been employed at Royal Weddings, either to bring the bride-to-be to the Church before the service (as was the instance with Lady Diana Spencer inward 1981),or to carry the newlywed Bride too Groom from Church subsequently the service (as happened with Princess Elizabeth too The Duke of Edinburgh inward 1947).

the top has golden edge too the crown is inward the center.

Miniature crowns, sceptre here...

Here are riding gear.

This is the Gold State Coach. It is an enclosed, viii horse-drawn wagon used past times the British Royal Family. It was built inward 1762 too has been used at the coronation of every British monarch since George IV.

The coach's corking age, weight, too lack of manoeuvrability direct maintain express its utilisation to grand nation occasions such equally coronations, royal weddings, too the jubilees of a monarch.

The coach weighs 4 tons too is 24 feet (7.3 m) long too 12 feet (3.7 m) high. It is golden too features painted panels past times Giovanni Cipriani too rich golden sculpture including three cherubs on the roof (representing England, Republic of Ireland too Scotland) too 4 tritons (mermans), i at each corner (representing Britain's violet power).

The trunk of the coach is slung past times braces covered with Kingdom of Morocco leather too decorated with gilt buckles. The interior is lined with velvet too satin. The Gold State Coach is pulled past times a squad of viii horses wearing the Red Kingdom of Morocco harness.

Buckingham palace:

We were at the gates of Buckingham palace.

The gates exhibit The Royal Coat of Arms

The shield is quartered, depicting inward the outset too 4th quarters 3 guardant lions of England; inward the second, the rampant king of beasts of Scotland; too inward the third, a harp for Ireland.

The crest is a guardant king of beasts wearing the violet crown, himself on some other representation of that crown.

The leftside supporter is a crowned English linguistic communication lion; the right, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend a complimentary unicorn was considered a real unsafe beast; hence the heraldic unicorn is chained, equally were both supporting unicorns inward the Royal coat of arms of Scotland. In the greenery below, a thistle, Tudor Rose too shamrock are present, representing Scotland, England too Republic of Ireland respectively.

The coat features both the motto of English linguistic communication monarchs, Dieu et mon droit (God too my right), too the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honi soit qui mal y pense (shame upon him who thinks evil of it) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield.

The 3 gates – the Commonwealth of Australia Gate, Canada Gate, too South too West Africa Gate, each with 2 gateposts bearing allegorical figures of the cherubic genre, or to a greater extent than properly, equally they are wingless, Amorini. Each figure has a shield, too some creature too items representative of the item Imperial dominion.

Originally known equally Buckingham House, the marrow of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham inward 1705. It was acquired past times George III inward 1761 equally a individual residence for Queen Charlotte, "The Queen's House"—14 of their fifteen children were born there

During the 19th century it was enlarged, forming 3 wings around a commutation courtyard.

Buckingham Palace became the official royal palace of Queen Victoria inward 1837. Widowed inward 1861, the Queen left Buckingham Palace to alive at Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle, too Osborne House. In 1864 a banker's complaint was pinned to the fence: 'These commanding premises to live allow or sold, inward lawsuit of the occupant's declining business.'

Public persuasion forced her to render to London . Court functions were soundless held at Windsor Castle rather than at the palace, presided over past times the sombre Queen habitually dressed inward mourning dark piece Buckingham Palace remained shuttered for most of the year.

The lastly major structural additions were made inward the belatedly 19th too early on 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal household unit of measurement traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside.

However, the palace chapel was destroyed past times a High German bomb inward World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site too opened to earth inward 1962 to exhibit works of fine art from the Royal Collection.

The Palace measures 108 metres past times 120 metres, is 24 metres high too contains over 830,000 sq ft of floorspace.

Investitures, which include the conferring of knighthoods past times dubbing with a sword, too other awards accept identify inward the palace's Ballroom, built inward 1854. At (120' × 59' × 44' 3.5"), it is the largest room inward the palace. It has replaced the throne room inward importance too use.

During investitures, the Queen stands on the throne dais beneath a giant, domed velvet canopy, which is known equally a shamiana or a baldachin too was used at the coronation Durbar, Delhi inward 1911.

A 1999 volume published past times the Royal Collection Department reported that the palace contained xix nation rooms, 52 principal bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, too 78 bathrooms.

While this may seem large, it is small when compared to the Russian violet palaces inward Leningrad too at Tsarskoe Selo, the Papal Palace inward Rome, the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Stockholm Palace, or indeed the quondam Palace of Whitehall, too tiny compared to the Forbidden City too Potala Palace.

During World War II the palace was bombed no less than 7 times, the most serious i resulted inward the devastation of the palace chapel inward 1940. Coverage of this lawsuit was played inward cinemas all over the UK to exhibit the mutual suffering of rich too poor. One bomb cruel inward the palace quadrangle piece King George VI too Queen Elizabeth (current queen's parents)were inward residence, too many windows were blown inward too the chapel destroyed.

War-time coverage of such incidents was severely restricted, however. The King too Queen were filmed inspecting their bombed home, the grin Queen, equally always, immaculately dressed inward a chapeau too matching coat seemingly unbothered past times the harm around her. It was at this fourth dimension the Queen famously declared: "I'm glad nosotros direct maintain been bombed. Now I tin give the axe await the East End inward the face".

Queen Victoria memorial:

This is Queen Victoria memorial, Buckingham Palace.

The famous white 'wedding cake' monument inward forepart of Buckingham Palace commemorates Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Work began inward July 1903 too the concluding memorial was unveiled inward 1911 past times King George V inward the presence of the High German Emperor Wilhelm II, his outset cousin,( the 2 senior grandsons of Victoria).

The whole sculpture has a nautical theme, much similar the repose of The Mall (Admiralty Arch, for example). This tin give the axe live seen inward the mermaids, mermen too the hippogriff, all of which are suggestive of the United Kingdom's naval power.

Queen Victoria belongings a sceptre too an orb.

It stands 25m high too is made of 2,300 tonnes of white Carrara marble. bronze too granite. This is the largest monument to a monarch inward England.

As good equally Victoria, in that location are statues representing courage, constancy, victory, charity, truth too motherhood.

Around the curved sides of the pedestal, too slightly lower than the monarch, are an angel of Truth to her correct (the viewer’s left), too an angel of Justice to her left (our right). Truth carries a mirror, is crushing a ophidian nether her foot, too is accompanied past times a seated adult woman seeking the truth inward a manuscript, too a cherub bearing some frond of palm leaves. Justice, a suitably to a greater extent than severe armoured figure with helmet too sword, is helping a weeping nude adult woman at her feet, too also has an accompanying cherub, who bears Justice’s scales. To the rear(not seen inward this pic), facing the Palace, is a grouping of Motherhood, sometimes called Charity, equally a seated figure inward serenity with 3 infants.

Atop the pediment is a winged Victory, with figures of Courage too Constancy crouched at her feet, all gilt. Victory balances on an orb, i paw raised too beckoning, the other belongings a long palm frond. Courage wears a helmet too bears a club, piece Constancy holds a ship’s compass. To forepart too nurture nosotros may banker's complaint stone eagles with outspread wings, symbols of Dominion, or empire. All these together show the qualities of the Queen.

This belongs to the bronze groups. Four massive lions, each with a monumental figure, stand upwards to the 4 sides of the monument, the gift of New Zealand. They are Agriculture too Manufacture, Peace too Progress, something of a modify from Brock’s before idea, which was to direct maintain winged lions.

This is Manufacture— a tough workman, muscular, bearded, wearing an apron too belongings a mallet too some rolled upwards scroll.

Agriculture is a woman, wearing a milkmaid’s costume, and carrying a huge sheaf of corn too a pocket-size sickle.

The formal flowerbeds are topographic point out inward a semi-circular blueprint around the commutation memorial .

The planting schedule follows a traditional seasonal pattern that is repeated each year. Each planting takes around 2 weeks too involves upwards to x staff. Replanting of the beds inward summer requires around 22,500 plants, including geraniums, spider plants, salvias too weeping figs.

In winter fourth dimension the beds are filled with almost 50,000 yellowish wallflowers too ruddy tulips—in the background this system is seen.

St Martin inward the Fields Church:

This is St Martin inward the Fields Church—we listened spellbound to 1/2 hr organ recital

It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church building on the site since the medieval period. The introduce edifice was constructed inward a Neoclassical blueprint inward 1722–1724.

The spire of St Martin's rises 192 ft (59 m) higher upwards the degree of the church building floor.

This is Nelson column.

London Eye:

London optic here— it is 135 metres (443 ft) tall too the cycle has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). It is currently Europe's tallest Ferris wheel. When erected inward 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, until surpassed outset past times the 160 1000 (520 ft) Star of Nanchang inward 2006 too so the 165 1000 (541 ft) Singapore Flyer inward 2008.

Supported past times an A-frame on i side only, it is a cantilevered observation wheel.

32 sealed too air-conditioned ovoidal rider capsules are attached to the external circumference of the cycle too rotated past times electrical motors. Each of the 10-tonne capsules represents i of the London Boroughs too holds upwards to 25 people, who are complimentary to walk around inside the capsule, though seating is provided.

The cycle rotates at 26 cm (10 in) per 2d (about 0.9 km/h or 0.6 mph) so that i revolution takes almost thirty minutes. It does non usually halt to accept on passengers; the rotation charge per unit of measurement is tardily plenty to allow passengers to walk on too off the moving capsules at footing level.

We did non experience the demand to ride the London eye, we were happy plenty with the see nosotros had got from St Paul'ds tower. We did non fancy the long queues too the tiresome one-half an hr on the eye!

Here's Big Ben— the corking bell of the clock at the N cease of the Palace of Westminster inward London.

The tower is instantly officially called the Elizabeth Tower, subsequently beingness renamed inward 2012 (from "Clock Tower") to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock inward the footing too is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower.

The tower was completed inward 1858 too had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009. It is 315 feet (96.0 m) high. The 4 clock dials are 180 feet (54.9 m) higher upwards ground. The hr paw is nine feet (2.7 m) long too the infinitesimal paw is fourteen feet (4.3 m) long.

London taxi tin give the axe also been seen...

We were so at the westminster pier—wanted to accept a cruise upwards to greenwich but the ride was entirely upwards to Tower of London. So nosotros called it a day.

Westminster Bridge opened inward 1862—a route too human foot traffic span over the River Thames inward London, linking Westminster on the N side too Lambeth on the S side.

The span is painted predominantly green, the same color equally the leather seats inward the House of Commons which is on the side of the Palace of Westminster nearest the bridge. This is inward contrast to Lambeth Bridge which is red, the same color equally the seats inward the House of Lords too is on the reverse side of the Houses of Parliament.

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