Buckingham Palace has some remarkable statistics and hidden features that most visitors never hear about. Behind the famous balcony and the State Rooms, it runs more like a small town than a house, with its own infrastructure, hundreds of staff, and a few unusual traditions.
Here are some of the most surprising facts about the King’s official London residence.
Buckingham Palace by the Numbers
The scale of the palace is hard to picture until you see the numbers.
775
1,514
760
40,000
800+
350+
A Palace Like a Small Town
The palace is largely self-contained. Within its walls and grounds it has its own:
- Post office, handling around 70,000 pieces of mail a year
- Chapel
- Swimming pool
- Police station
- Cinema
- Health clinic
- Cash machine
Unusual Royal Jobs
It also employs people in roles that barely exist anywhere else in modern Britain:
- Fendersmith: repairs the metal guards around the fireplaces.
- Flag Sergeant: manages all the palace flags.
- Clockmaker: winds and maintains over 350 clocks and watches full-time.
Secrets and Strange Stories
Three centuries as a royal home have left the palace with no shortage of odd tales.
The hidden mirror door
The White Drawing Room has a door disguised as a mirror and cabinet, which lets the Royal Family enter discreetly before formal occasions and creates those seemingly magical royal entrances.
The rumoured tunnels
Stories persist about tunnels linking the palace to Clarence House and the Houses of Parliament. One tale claims George VI and the Queen Mother once found someone living in them, though the truth is hard to confirm.
The Victorian intruder
A teenager known as Edward “the boy” Jones repeatedly broke into the palace during Queen Victoria’s reign, once stealing the Queen’s underwear and sitting on her throne before he was caught, exposing some startling security gaps.
The wrong mulberry trees
King James I tried to start a silk industry here in the 17th century, but planted the wrong kind of mulberry trees, so the silkworms never thrived. Their descendants still grow in the grounds today.
Wartime rationing inside the palace
During the Second World War, George VI insisted on rationing inside the palace too, locking the wine cellars and limiting alcohol to share in the public’s sacrifice.
The Garden
The 40-acre garden is the largest private garden in London, and it hides some surprises of its own:
- A helipad for royal arrivals and departures
- A tennis court
- A lake with its own island
- More than 30 species of bird
- Over 350 types of wildflower
Did You Know?
- Queen Victoria made the first royal balcony appearance in 1851, starting a tradition that continues today.
- The Ballroom is the largest room in the palace, at 36.6 metres long, and was the first room to get electric lighting, in 1883.
- The Ballroom’s first event celebrated the end of the Crimean War in 1856.
- Edward VII is the only monarch both born and died at Buckingham Palace.
- The palace was bombed nine times during the Second World War, yet the Royal Family stayed in London throughout the Blitz.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Buckingham Palace?
More than 800 staff work on the palace grounds, in roles ranging from footmen to specialised jobs like the fendersmith, who repairs the fireplace guards.
Does the palace really have its own post office?
Yes. The palace runs its own post office, handling around 70,000 pieces of mail addressed to the Royal Family each year.
How often are the palace windows cleaned?
All 760 windows are cleaned every six weeks, no small task in central London.
Are there really secret tunnels?
Rumours persist about tunnels linking the palace to other government buildings, but they are not officially confirmed, and some stories are likely exaggerated.
What is the largest room in Buckingham Palace?
The Ballroom, at 36.6 metres long, 18 metres wide, and 13.5 metres high. It was also the first room in the palace to get electric lighting, in 1883.