Everyone likes to chat; especially when it comes to royalty. Everyone watches their every move to see when they hesitate, when they deserve praise, where they should have intervened, etc. A story exists behind every royal figure. This story is about Buckingham Palace. The British monarchy, which sparks much of the drama and gossip that dominates today's headlines, the palace itself has a story to tell. A story of transformation, joy, war, destruction and victory. Buckingham Palace defies time and continues to be a majestic symbol of royalty. The palace was originally built as a large town house for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Buckingham House (as it was previously known) was built on land that had been privately owned for at least 150 years. Sheffield had the residence built according to plans designed by William Winde. The central design was a single large central block consisting of three stories, with two smaller wings intended for various services necessary for the operation of a large, upper-class house (Harris 22). Buckingham House was later sold to King George III in 1761, who reserved it as a private retreat for Queen Charlotte (Robinson 14). After George IV inherited the throne in 1820, he continued his predecessor's renovations of Buckingham House that had begun in 1762. George IV preferred to keep the residence as a comfortable small house, but his preference changed during construction in 1826. With the help of his architect John Nash, George IV decided to transform the residence into a neoclassical style. palace. Shortly afterwards, George IV died and his younger brother, William IV, took over. William hired Edward Blore to complete the...... middle of paper ......Official website of the British monarchy. Internet. 06 March. 2011. Clancy, Ray. “The History of Buckingham Palace.” Real estate community for overseas real estate news, forums, blogs, discussions and comments. December 9, 2008. Web.04 March 2011. Harris, John, Bellaigue Geoffrey De and Oliver Millar. Buckingham Palace. London: Nelson, 1968. Print. “History of Buckingham Palace, facts about Buckingham Palace, history of Buckingham Palace. » Ancient civilizations, Western civilizations, Mayan, Greek, Roman, Inca, history and symbols. November 10, 2010. The web. March 6, 2011.Robinson, John Martin. [Buckingham Palace: Official Guide. London: Royal Collection, St. James's Palace, 1999. Print. Rose, Kenneth. King George V. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983. Print.Thornton, Michael. Royal Feud: the dark side of the love story of the century. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985. Print.