My last blog!!! Our excursion this Wednesday took us to Buckingham Palace, the symbol of power for the British Monarchy. The Queen was sadly not in residence, having moved for the summer months to Balmoral in Scotland. Every room was incredibly magnificent and extraordinary; words cannot even describe the grandeur and opulence that can be found in the few rooms that we saw. This year marks the 200th year that Queen Victoria would have ruled so there was a special exhibit on her time in Buckingham Palace. She changed the face of the palace in many ways and changed its relationship with the people. Physically, she expanded the palace to include a more room for her many children and for entertaining. Symbolically, she was the first to make it truly a home for the monarch of the British Empire. 

     The day before this, I also had the privilege of getting a private tour of Parliament. Being an international affairs major, this was extremely exciting! With no crowds in sight, we saw the great hall where heads of state such as the Queen and Barack Obama have given speeches, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. I learned that the Lords are appointed to their positions and only get paid if they show up to meetings, which many don’t. The House of Commons is made of up elected officials led by the Speaker of the House. It was so incredible to see where so many global decisions, good and bad, have been made and where all the power in Great Britain rests.