Buckingham Palace - we all know it, and of course it was recently thrown into the spotlight even more so than usual through the kiss on the balcony between the newly married Kate Middleton and Prince William.. sorry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge....
Lovely. However, have you ever wondered about the name Buckingham Palace? We all know the Windsors live at Windsor, but what about the 'Buckinghams'? Who are they, and where do they live?
It turns out that Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. The building that forms most of today's building was actually built for the Duke of Buckingham, back in 1705. It was then in 1760 that the building was acquired by George III as a private residence for Queen Charlotte.
So who was this Duke of Buckingham? Well, he was a was a poet and notable Tory politician of the late Stuart period who lived from 8 September 1647 – 24 February 1721. He died on 24 February 1721 at his house in St James' Park, on the site of the present Buckingham Palace. Buckingham was succeeded by his son, Edmund (1716–1735), on whose death the titles became extinct.
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