As royal residences go,
Buckingham Palace is something of a newcomer.
The staterooms are less than 200 years old.
Yet its history is much older and more dramatic than you might think.
Its rooms are filled with objects that are clues to the character of Kings and Queens past.
And the art and architecture combine to make a statement about Britain's place in the world.
The Palace as it appears now was designed at a time
when Britain was the richest, most powerful nation on earth.
This was meant to reflect that.
But for the first monarch who lived on this spot,
it was little more than a quiet retreat.
How things have changed.