6 Buckingham Palace Secrets You Probably Never Heard Of

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II and the London base for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As a building fit for a queen, Buckingham Palace is as grand and luxurious as it can get, and naturally it has a few secrets of its own.

1. It Can Accommodate All The Royals

The Palace is a massive building with a floor area of around 77,000 square meters (830,000 square feet). There are a total of 775 rooms, 200 of which are bedrooms.

While there’s enough room to fit all the royals, most of them prefer to live elsewhere and only visit the Palace when necessary. Prince William and Kate Middleton split their time between Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle use the Palace as their London base, aside from Frogmore Cottage.

2. There Are Over 350 Clocks

It’s easy to tell time if one lives in the Palace. There are over 350 clocks all over the place, which leaves one no excuse for being late for an appointment. There’s even a position called the horological conservator, whose job is to make sure that every clock is maintained and repaired and keeps accurate time.

3. The Flag Tells If The Queen Is In

Fans can actually tell at a glance if the Queen is inside Buckingham Palace. If she’s home, the Royal Standard flag is flown over her residence. If she’s out, one can see the Union Flag. It’s the responsibility of the Queen's Flag Sergeant to change the flags as necessary.

4. It Has Its Own Post Office And ZIP Code

The Queen handles a lot of correspondence, especially during the Christmas season. However, getting all those cards and letters mailed is not a problem at all since the Palace has its own post office. It even has its own ZIP code separate from the rest of London, which is SW1A 1AA.

5. A River Runs Under It

This might come as a surprise to most people, but there’s a river that runs below the Palace. The River Tyburn starts at Hampstead then flows through Regent Park right under Buckingham Palace’s courtyard and south wing until it joins the Thames near Vauxhall Bridge in Pimlico. It can’t be seen, though, because it’s underground most of its route.

6. Rumored Network Of Tunnels

There have been long-running rumors that there’s a network of tunnels underneath the Palace that connects it to the London Tube. There are also tunnels that connect it to Clarence House, as well as the Parliament Houses. The Queen Mother reportedly visited the tunnels with King George VI where she encountered a man who’s probably living down there.