The largest room in Buckingham Palace, hosting glittering state banquets, investitures, and royal celebrations.
The Ballroom at Buckingham Palace is the largest room in the palace and one of the most magnificent spaces in the world. Created in the 1850s during the reign of Queen Victoria, this grand room serves as the setting for some of the most important royal ceremonies and state functions.
Measuring 120 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 45 feet high, the Ballroom’s scale is truly impressive. Its ornate neoclassical decoration, including gilded ceilings, rich red and gold drapery, and sparkling chandeliers, reflects the grandeur and tradition of the British monarchy.
From state banquets in honour of visiting heads of state to investiture ceremonies where honours and knighthoods are conferred, the Ballroom has witnessed countless moments of diplomatic and national significance.
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The Ballroom is the principal venue for state banquets, where up to 170 guests dine at a single long table laid with glittering silver, crystal, and royal china.
Here, members of the public receive honours from the monarch for their service to the nation, from knighthoods to medals, in carefully choreographed ceremonies.
Gilded plasterwork, rich crimson textiles, and colossal chandeliers create a dramatic setting that showcases Victorian grandeur at its most theatrical.
Portraits of British monarchs and important historical figures line the walls, turning the room into a visual timeline of royal history.
The Ballroom was created during the major expansion and refurbishment of Buckingham Palace in the 1850s under Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as the monarchy embraced an increasingly public ceremonial role.
The raised dais, musicians’ gallery, and carefully controlled lighting allow the room to be transformed from formal banquet hall to ceremonial stage or reception space.
Every detail of a state banquet – from table placements to seating plans – follows established protocol, with the Ballroom providing the perfect setting for diplomatic pageantry.
During the summer opening, visitors following the State Rooms route can walk through the Ballroom, seeing it set either for a banquet or interpreted with displays that reveal how royal occasions are prepared.
