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Buckingham Palace is Queen Elizabeth II's official residence and has been the official London residence of Britain's sovereign since 1837. It was once a townhouse owned by the Dukes of Buckingham back in the eighteenth century. George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a family home near to St James's Palace, where many court functions were held.[qh]
白金汉宫是伊丽莎白二世女王的住所,自1837年成为英国君王的官方住处 。十八世纪,它曾是白金汉公爵的城邸 。乔治三世在1761年为他的妻子夏洛特王后买下了白金汉宫,作为靠近圣詹姆斯宫的家庭住所,圣詹姆斯宫经常主办一些宴会 。[qh]
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace have been opened to the public for the Annual Summer opening, in August and September, since 1993, after the fire at Windsor Castle in November 1992. Initially the Summer Opening was considered a way to pay for the damage at Windsor Castle, but it became so popular that The Queen has continued to allow visitors every summer. The Queen is not at Buckingham Palace when it is open to the public--she goes to one of her country residences.[qh]
自从1993年以来,白金汉宫的议事厅每年暑假都会向公众开放 。刚开始这个开放活动被认为是为了补偿1992年温莎城堡大火所造成的损失,但是这个开放活动太流行了,所以王后决定每年夏天都允许公众参观 。议事厅向公众开放的时候王后并不在白金汉宫内,她去她的乡村住所待着 。[qh]