Buckingham Palace Garden

Buckingham Palace Garden lies behind the palace in Westminster. It is the biggest private garden in London, covering 17 hectares. The garden is bounded by Constitution Hill to the north, Hyde Park Corner to the west, and Grosvenor Place to the south-west. The Royal Mews, King’s Gallery, and the palace itself form its southern and eastern edges. The site once belonged to Lord Goring in the 17th century before becoming Arlington House and later Buckingham House. The garden’s royal history began in 1609 when James I planted mulberry trees here. Henry Wise designed a grand French-style garden with parterres and a central canal for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 18th century. William Townsend Aiton later reshaped it for George IV, creating the lake in 1828. The garden has hosted major royal events, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee concert in 2002, where Brian May played his guitar solo on the palace roof. Visitors who enter the garden during the palace’s summer opening find a varied landscape. A large 19th-century lake once held flamingoes and now features an island. The garden includes a summerhouse by William Kent, a helicopter pad on the great lawn, and a tennis court where George VI once played Fred Perry. Mature trees line the gravel paths, and the garden holds the UK’s national collection of mulberry trees, with around 40 varieties. The flat Main Lawn stretches before the West Terrace, offering views across the water.