If you've always dreamed of visiting Buckingham Palace but are a little too strapped for time, the Internet has just the solution for you. For the first time ever, the Queen's home will be opening its doors to visitors who'd like to experience the lavish wonder on a free virtual tour that can be accessed anywhere from a smartphone or computer. The treat was made possible by the Royal Collection Trust, the charity which manages the historic building, partnering with Google's Expedition pioneer program,which allows teachers to take schoolchildren on guided adventures through places like a coral reef or the surface of Mars.
On the tour, the Master of the Household and the curator of the paintings explain some of the fascinating history of the regal home (did you know that it originally wasn't a palace?).
It begins in the Great Entrance, whose 104 pillars are built from a single block of marble from Tuscany that was transported along the Thames.
You then move into the Green Drawing Room, which is filled with green upholstered furniture and porcelain.
It's followed by the distinctly theatrical Throne Room, which retains the air of its rich history as a ballroom.
Continue into the lengthy Picture Gallery to see the world's most extensive collection of works by Italian artist Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto.
The White Drawing Room is one of the most extravagant rooms in the palace, given that it was used by the Queen for entertaining guests. It is filled with yellow upholstered furniture, and a gold piano in the corner that Queen Victoria used to play with her husband. To the left of the fireplace, there is a cabinet that reveals a secret door which leads to the Queen's private apartments.
If you want to hear more details about this exquisite palace and saunter through the rooms yourself, you can take the tour below:
