Earlier today, I stepped inside the East Wing of Buckingham Palace on a guided tour — and the moment I came back out into the daylight, I did something rather different.
Because photography isn’t allowed on this tour, I left the Palace, stood outside, and immediately recorded a voice note for you — drawn straight from the notes I scribbled as we moved through the rooms. No polished script, no images to lean on, just impressions captured while everything was still fresh.
What struck me most was how deeply the East Wing is rooted in the Victorian and Edwardian world — a space that feels entirely in conversation with the Gilded Age. The interiors, the purpose of the rooms, the rhythm of royal life unfolding there: all of it sits firmly in the same cultural moment as so many of the American heiresses and British families we talk about here.
So this is a tour you’ll experience by listening. I recommend a cup of tea, or a walk with headphones on — let the rooms form themselves in your imagination. Think of it as being quietly guided alongside me, rather than shown around.
Below, you’ll find a couple of photographs of me outside the Palace — the only images I was able to take — and then the audio itself. I hope you enjoy stepping inside with me, even without a camera in hand. xx Julie
