Paying Tribute to a Regal Residence

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence for British monarchs. Formerly known as Buckingham House, the building was purchased by George III as a private residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte. Later, in 1826, George IV commissioned its conversion into a palace. The first British monarch to take up residence at Buckingham Palace was Queen Victoria, who also made the first recorded appearance on the Palace balcony after the opening of the Great Exhibition in 1851.

There are 19 State Rooms in Buckingham Palace, most notably the Ballroom and the White Drawing Room, which the Royal Family use for State, ceremonial and official occasions. Celebrations for several royal weddings have taken place at the Palace, including that of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011, along with national celebrations such as the Golden and Platinum Jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II. Following in his mother’s footsteps, His Majesty King Charles III also holds weekly meetings with the Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace.

Marking the Birth of Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most recognisable figures in British history and famously led Britain to victory in the Second World War. Born in 1874 at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, he was the eldest child of Conservative politician Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill and American-born British socialite Jennie Jerome.

Churchill successfully passed the entrance examination to the Royal Military College Sandhurst on his third attempt and passed out as twentieth in a class of 130. His father passed away in 1895, which had a profound effect on the young Churchill as he entered the fourth Hussars in the same year.

Churchill’s career in the military saw him travel widely and would often write about the conflicts he encountered for newspapers. In 1900, Churchill turned his attention to politics and went on to have an impressive political career, representing five constituencies, serving under 13 prime ministers and becoming prime minister himself in 1940 and again in 1951. Two years later, in 1953, he received and accepted both the Order of the Garter and the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Inspiring the Nation

In 2024, the Olympic Games return to Paris in France for the third time, exactly 100 years after the city last hosted the Games in 1924. This is also the first time that France will host the summer Paralympic Games.

Team GB aim to unite the nation through the power of Olympic sport, with British athletes at the heart of this ambition. Their stories of extraordinary achievements bring the nation together and inspire others to find their own extraordinary. Team GB athletes will come together with other athletes from around the world to compete in 319 events across 32 sports.

ParalympicsGB are champions of change in a sporting revolution started by Sir Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Hospital more than 70 years ago. In the present day, ParalympicsGB is a world leading sports team, winning medals across a record-breaking range of sports to help unite and inspire the nation. The success of ParalympicsGB athletes on the field of play can be harnessed to deliver real and sustainable change in the lives of all disabled people across the UK.