\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph11340 \plain \fs20 \f1 \fs22 The official London residence of Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace is surely the most famous of all royal pa
laces in Britain. It was commissioned by George IV, a somewhat dissipated, extravagant king, but nevertheless a great patron of the arts. He chose the famous Regency architect John Nash to design his 600-room residence. However, it was not finished until
long after the sovereignÆs death in 1830. In fact the palace remained unused until Queen VictoriaÆs succession in 1837. Moreover, the familiar east faτade was actually only added in 1913.\par
Since Buckingham Palace doubles as the office and the home o
f the British monarchy and is also used to host banquets for visiting heads of state, it provides employment for about 300 people. These include the officers of the Royal Household, who organise the QueenÆs official affairs, and a large team of domestic
