Google unveils virtual tour of Buckingham Palace

Aside from launching the new app, Google is also rolling out two new Expeditions, that’s what it calls VR field trips, which will allow students to explore the Great Barrier Reef and Buckingham Palace without even leaving the classroom.

Photos for the tour were taken last week by 16 cameras placed in circle, each taking a different shot at the same time and then pulled together to provide 360-degree images of the palace.

Fans of the Royal Family can now tour Buckingham Palace using the internet.

Visitors can stand at the bottom of the grand staircase and, although not able to move, have an nearly complete view of the architectural wonder dating back to the early 18th century.

Royal art curator Anna Reynolds in a new virtual tour of Buckingham Palace.

Other highlights include tours of the lavishly decorated Green and White drawing rooms and the ballroom, where knighthoods and OBE’s are presented by the Queen during investitures, all accompanied by a virtual tour guide.

The queen’s primary residence can be accessed via a new video uploaded on the “British Monarchy YouTube Channel” as part of a larger Google Expeditions Pioneer programme.

Jemima Rellie, from the Royal Collection Trust, said: “For schoolchildren, Buckingham Palace is one of the most iconic, magical buildings in the world”.

Master of the Household to the Sovereign Vice Admiral Charles Anthony Johnstone-Burt invites viewers into the palace in one what turns out to be a surprisingly intimate look at the home of the Queen of England.

The official tour was launched at an event featuring students from a school in east London.

Last month, Google Expeditions, which is basically a “virtual field trip” program, took us inside the White House in VR, with all of its holiday decorations.

To view the tour you can use either the YouTube app on your smartphone or check it out by playing the video (above), which is interactive.