This upcoming Saturday, June 13, the world will see the royal family stand together on the central balcony of Buckingham Palace for yet another Trooping the Colour. As a procession of soldiers, horses, and musicians carrying the regiment’s ceremonial flag—or “colour”—troops back to Buckingham Palace from Horse Guards Parade while the Royal Air Force conducts its dramatic flypast overhead, the royal family will file out onto the balcony to wave to the crowds. But before stepping out to the public eye, they’ll gather together in a lavish room of the castle: the Centre Room.
What is the Centre Room?
Located in the East Wing of Buckingham Palace, the lavish space was built between 1847–49 under Queen Victoria to enclose a U-shaped courtyard, per Tatler. As the entrance and exit to the famous balcony, the room over time became the precursor to some of the royal family’s most widely documented moments.
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The Centre Room circa 1939.
For many years, the Centre Room was closed from public viewing—only ever seen in glimpses or via the rare photo—until July 2024. It was then that a major renovation and restoration of Buckingham Palace’s East Wing opened up the opportunity for specialized guided tours of the area, thereby opening the Centre Room for anyone to see for the first time since it was built.
What does the Centre Room look like?
Once upon a time, the Centre Room was used as a formal sitting area for the royal family—filled with rich settees and chaises. These days, it’s still used as a gathering area for the family, albeit with far more open space. Brimming with treasures from monarchs past and designed in a chinoiserie style, the room is splashed in vibrant color and glitters with golden accents.
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The Centre Room in 2024 during the final stages of a major renovation to Buckingham Palace’s East Wing.
Eighteenth-century Chinese silk wall hangings—which were gifted to Queen Victoria in 1897—adorn the spaces beside the fireplace, while Chinese porcelain vases from King George IV in the 1800s pepper the room, per the Royal Collection Trust. The room’s most notable feature is its whimsical chandelier. The lotus-shaped fixture comes from King George IV’s personal chinoiserie collection. The objet d’art was relocated from the monarch’s Royal Pavilion at Brighton when Queen Victoria sold the home in the 1800s—along with numerous other pieces that were used to furnish the Palace’s East Wing.
It’s also the piece most often seen in the background of balcony photos, the illuminated lotus silhouette glowing from over the shoulders of the royal family. And if you look closely at the balcony photos on Saturday, you might just catch a glimpse of the Centre Room.