Every year, thousands of people gather on the Mall in London, craning their necks toward the golden railings of Buckingham Palace, waiting for that moment-the Royal Family steps out onto the balcony. It’s not just a spectacle; it’s a tradition woven into the fabric of London life. From the jubilant crowds on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to the quiet hush after the King’s Coronation, the balcony has become the most visible stage for the monarchy in the heart of the capital. But few realize how this simple balcony, barely wider than a London bus, became one of the most iconic symbols of British identity.
The balcony you see today wasn’t part of the original Buckingham Palace. When Queen Victoria moved in back in 1837, the building was still a modest townhouse, not the grand palace we know. It was her husband, Prince Albert, who pushed for expansion. By 1850, architect Edward Blore had added the east facade, including the now-famous balcony. Its purpose? To give the royal family a place to greet the public after major events. The first official balcony appearance happened in 1851, after the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. Victoria and Albert stood there, waving to thousands who had lined the streets-many of them working-class Londoners who’d never seen their monarch so close.
Before that, royalty stayed hidden behind heavy curtains and high walls. The balcony changed that. It turned the palace from a private residence into a public symbol. And in a city like London-where tradition and accessibility walk hand in hand-it stuck.
Today, the balcony isn’t just for coronations or jubilees. It’s part of London’s rhythm. On VE Day, Remembrance Sunday, and royal birthdays, you’ll find locals bringing picnics from Fortnum & Mason, kids holding Union Jacks bought at Camden Market, and tourists snapping photos with their phones held high above the crowd. The balcony appears after the Trooping the Colour parade in June, when the Queen’s Guard marches from Horse Guards Parade down The Mall. The Royal Family stands there for about ten minutes, the Spitfires roar overhead, and the crowd sings ‘God Save the King’-a moment that feels less like a ceremony and more like a shared breath.
Even in bad weather, it happens. In 2018, during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, rain poured down. The balcony appeared anyway. The Queen, then 92, stood with her umbrella slightly tilted, smiling as the newlyweds kissed. That image-royalty, rain, resilience-became one of the most shared moments on social media in London that year.
London is a city of contrasts. You’ve got the Shard piercing the sky and the Tower Bridge opening for river barges. You’ve got street artists in Shoreditch and classical musicians playing in Covent Garden. The Buckingham Palace balcony sits right in the middle of it all-not as a relic, but as a living thread connecting past and present.
It’s where Londoners come to feel part of something bigger. On the day of Prince William and Catherine’s wedding in 2011, over a million people lined the streets. Many had camped out overnight. One woman from Peckham told the BBC she brought her grandmother’s teacup, filled with tea from a local shop on Brixton Road, to sip while she waited. ‘It’s not about the royals,’ she said. ‘It’s about being here, in this city, with everyone else.’
The balcony doesn’t just show off the royal family-it shows off London itself. The crowd below is as much a part of the moment as those on the railings. You’ll see elderly men in flat caps from Islington, students in hoodies from UCL, and families from Tower Hamlets holding up signs written in Bengali, Polish, and Punjabi. It’s a moment where the city’s diversity becomes part of the spectacle.
Behind the polished railings and the waving hands, there’s a quiet system keeping it all running. The balcony is not open to the public. Access is strictly controlled. Only members of the royal family, their close aides, and a handful of palace staff are allowed up. The steps leading to it are narrow and steep, built in the 19th century-no elevators, no ramps. If you’ve ever struggled up the stairs at the British Museum or the Tate Modern, you’ll know how tight they are.
The balcony itself is about 12 feet wide and 40 feet long. That’s less space than a typical London flat. During the 2023 Coronation, the entire family stood shoulder to shoulder-King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, and the younger royals. Even then, there was barely room to move. Photographers below, stationed on the rooftops of nearby hotels like The Ritz or The Goring, have to use telephoto lenses just to capture a full face.
And the flags? They’re not just decorative. The Royal Standard flies only when the monarch is in residence. On the balcony, it’s replaced by the Union Flag during public appearances. That’s a detail most tourists miss, but locals know. If you’re walking past the palace in the morning and see the Royal Standard, you know the King is inside. If it’s the Union Flag, he’s out-and so are the cameras.
If you want to see the balcony in action, you don’t need to pay for a hotel room with a view. Locals know the best spots. The Mall is the obvious one, but the real insiders head to the side streets. Victoria Street, just behind the palace, offers a slightly elevated view with fewer people. Or walk down to St. James’s Park-you can see the balcony from the bridge near the pelicans, with the lake reflecting the flags. It’s quieter, less crowded, and you can grab a coffee from a nearby Pret or a hot chocolate from the little stall near the park’s entrance.
For the big events, the Tube gets packed. The best way to get there? Walk. From Westminster, it’s a 15-minute stroll past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. From Waterloo, cross the river and follow the signs past the London Eye. You’ll pass food trucks selling pies from Pies & Pints and sausage rolls from Greggs-London’s unofficial royal snacks.
Bring a jacket. Even in summer, the wind off the Thames can be sharp. And if you’re planning to stay for hours, grab a sandwich from Marks & Spencer-they’ve got the best Scotch eggs in the city. Don’t bother trying to buy tickets. There are none. The balcony is for the people, not the paying crowd.
There’s a quiet truth about the Buckingham Palace balcony: it’s not about royalty. It’s about belonging. In a city as fast-moving as London, where people come from every corner of the world, the balcony is one of the few things that still unites us. Whether you’re a lifelong resident of Camden or a new arrival from Lagos, when the music starts and the flags wave, you’re part of the same moment.
It’s why, after the Queen’s death in 2022, people left flowers and handwritten notes on the railings below the balcony. Not just in London, but across the UK. But in the capital, it was different. People didn’t just mourn-they remembered. They remembered the Queen waving on her first balcony appearance in 1953, the same one where her granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, stood just a few years ago. The balcony doesn’t just show the royal family. It shows the passage of time in London.
So next time you’re walking past Buckingham Palace, pause for a second. Look up. That narrow strip of stone and iron? It’s not just architecture. It’s where London’s story is still being written-wave by wave, year by year, in the quiet, ordinary way that only this city knows how.
The balcony is the only public stage where the Royal Family appears regularly to celebrate national events. It’s where Londoners come together-whether for royal weddings, jubilees, or coronations-to witness history in real time. Unlike other royal residences, Buckingham Palace sits at the center of the capital, making the balcony a living symbol of the monarchy’s connection to the city and its people.
No, the balcony is strictly off-limits to the public. Access is reserved only for members of the Royal Family and a small number of palace staff. The stairs leading up are narrow, historic, and not designed for public use. But you can watch from the Mall, St. James’s Park, or nearby streets-where the real magic happens anyway.
The most common appearances are during Trooping the Colour in June, royal weddings, coronations, and jubilees. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and King Charles III’s Coronation in 2023 drew huge crowds. For smaller events, check the Royal Family’s official website-appearances are usually announced a day or two in advance. Arrive early: locals start lining up by 6 a.m. for afternoon events.
The Royal Standard flies only when the monarch is in residence at Buckingham Palace. When the monarch is away or during public events, the Union Flag is flown instead. Locals use this as a daily indicator: if you see the Royal Standard, the King is home. If it’s the Union Flag, you’re likely to see a balcony appearance soon.
Absolutely. While the interior is only open in summer, the exterior alone is worth the walk. The Changing of the Guard ceremony happens daily at 11 a.m. (check the schedule-it’s reduced in winter). The palace grounds, the gardens, and the view from the Mall are some of London’s most photographed spots. And even if you don’t see the balcony in action, standing where millions have stood before is a quiet kind of history.
