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Westminster Abbey – Since 1066, British sovereigns
have been crowned in London's Westminster Abbey, and the Abbey is great
to visit because all these famous people – kings and queens, poets
and scientists – are buried there. Queen Elizabeth's tomb is just magnificent
in white marble. Adjoining Elizabeth is Mary Queen of Scots. The kids wanted
to know why Mary's still had her head (on the statue above her tomb). Listen
to music in the Abbey at evensong. |
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Ben Ben and Houses of Parliament – Big Ben is
the bell that peals out every hour and the clock in St. Stephen's Tower
in the Houses of Parliament. For the politically minded, you can take tours
of the Parliament Houses. |
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Cabinet War Rooms – Kitty corner from the Houses
of Parliament, across Parliament Square are the Cabinet War Rooms. From
these rooms, the British government directed all the operations of WWII.
The rooms have been kept exactly as they were when the war ended. For one
family, this was the highlight of their trip to London. |
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London Eye (across from Westminster Pier) – Take
a ride on this gigantic "observation" ferris wheel, located
on the south side of the Thames. You ride in glass capsules, for the ultimate
"bird's eye" view of London. On a clear day you say see all the
way to Windsor. The 30 minute ride is perfect for kids of all ages, but
in summer it gets crowded so reserve your tickets early. |
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St. James's Park – Feeling fatigued
from too many museums and palaces, take a walk in St. James's Park. It's
just a lovely shady oasis, with lots of green trees, grass, benches, a small
lake with lots of ducks, and a playground with sand play area and
swings. Bring your picnic lunch and relax. |
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Buckingham Palace – If anyone in your
family is a royals watcher, visit Buckingham Palace (in the summer). First
occupied by Queen Victoria, this palace is Queen Elizabeth's London residence.
Buckingham Palace is palatial, with red carpets in all the rooms, glittery
chandeliers and sweeping staircases for grand entrances.
Click
here for more information about visiting Buckingham Palace in summer
and family activities. |
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And of course, there's the Changing of the Guard in
front of Buckingham Palace, where you can watch sentries in colorful traditional
uniforms "hand-over," accompanied by a military marching band
(daily at 11:30am in summer and spring (and alternate days in fall and winter).
If your kids love horses, watch the ceremony with mounted horse guards at the Horse Guards Parade at the end of St. James's Park. |
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Tate Britain – In the Tate Britain there are so
many fine paintings by British artists Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough,
Turner, Whistler, William Blake, scenes of English landscapes and real people
from all walks of life. Don't miss George Stubbs horse portraits or Turner's
amazing landscapes. |
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Tuck this guide
into your suitcase – a concise history of the British monarchy,
with mini bios and events of each reign, stunning historical portraits
of each king or queen. Good for older kids. (Chapter book, illustrations)
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Discover English royalty, past and present - from Westminster Abbey, where all the English monarchs have been crowned since 1066, palaces (there more than Buckingham Palace), the royal court, working day of Queen Elizabeth. (Picture book)
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Hilarious
fictional adventures of Titus, a dog who lives in the royal palace
(by Dick King-Smith, author of Babe: The Gallant Pig). Titus
is Queen Elizabeth II's favorite corgi – he catches a palace
burglar, sleeps on the Queen's bed and loves custard cream cookies.
(Illustrated chapter book)
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(More children's
books on other London and England pages) |
