Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom, located in Westminster. It was built in 1703 as a townhouse for the Duke of Buckingham, and it was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. During the 19th century, it was enlarged by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. In 1837, upon the accession of Queen Victoria, the palace became the London residence of the British monarch. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw further additions to the palace, and, after a German bomb destroyed the palace chapel during World War II, the Queen's Gallery was built on the site in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection. The palace has 775 rooms, and it has the largest private garden in London.
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