The Queen is giving the public unprecedented access to her home this summer
The Mountbatten-Windsors are undoubtedly the most talked-about family in the world, with the Queen making news in particular.
From her epic Ali G impression and the hilarious names for her Corgis over the years to the time she hid in a bush to avoid a controversial Buckingham Palace guest, Queen Elizabeth never fails to make viral news.
This past year has been no exception, with the Queen stepping up to reassure the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
From giving virtual tours of her garden and being more present on social media to her speech of reassurance to the nation, the Queen has been all anyone can talk about, travelling between her homes, and now on lockdown in Windsor Castle where she and Prince Philip have been isolating.
As the United Kingdom slowly eases out of lockdown, the Queen has made an exciting announcement, opening Buckingham Palace gardens to the public this summer for picnics, for the first time ever.
'We anticipate that social distancing will still be in place this summer and that visitor numbers to London will be low for some time yet due to the uncertainty around domestic and international travel,' a spokesperson for the Royal Collection Trust announced in a statement.
'The costs incurred opening the palace to the public in the usual way would be far greater than the visitor admissions and retail income that we could expect. However, we are delighted to offer unique access to the Buckingham Palace garden this year as an alternative.'
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Tickets are available online for the public to picnic in the 39-acre London garden, with visitors allowed to explore by themselves for the first time ever.
We officially cannot wait.
Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.
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