Please note:
❌ Please note, once a booking is confirmed, refunds, cancellations, and rescheduling are not possible.
- Please note that you must print your ticket
Terms of Application for Individual Admissions
If you have any questions for the attraction, please contact:
Buckingham Palace +44 (0)303 123 7300
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace +44 (0)303 123 7301
The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace +44 (0)303 123 7302
Windsor Castle +44 (0)303 123 7304
Palace of Holyroodhouse +44 (0)303 123 7306
[email protected]
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION TO THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCES
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Introduction
1.1 As a visitor to any of the State Rooms and Garden at Buckingham Palace; the Royal Mews; The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace; Clarence House and Garden; Windsor Castle; Frogmore House and Gardens; the Palace of Holyroodhouse; or The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse ("the Official Residences"), you are subject to these terms and conditions together with the applicable Terms of Application (current versions of which are available at www.rct.uk) each as may be amended from time to time by us by posting the amended version on our website at www.rct.uk. The Conditions were last updated on 30 June 2020 .
1.2 Capitalised words used but not defined in these Conditions of Admission bear the meaning given in the applicable Terms of Application.
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Admission to the Official Residences
2.1 You will be admitted to the Official Residences only upon presentation, on demand, of a valid and fully paid ticket or other document entitling the holder to be admitted ("Admission") at the entrance to the Official Residence stated on the Admission ("Residence"). An Admission may be rendered invalid by cancellation either by The Royal Collection Trust a charity registered in England and Wales (1016972) and in Scotland (SCO39772) ("us") under the Conditions or by group organisers, travel agents or tour operators from whom the Admission has been obtained in accordance with the terms of issue.
2.2 We reserve the right in our sole and absolute discretion to refuse admission to a Residence of any person if circumstances reasonably so require and our decision shall be final and binding. We also reserve the right to suspend or cut short a particular visit if circumstances reasonably so require.
2.3 Your Admission allows access only to the areas of the Residence open on the day, at the time and for the period (if any) stated on the Admission and no other rights or permissions whatsoever are conferred by the Admission. Access to other parts of the Residence is prohibited.
2.4 Where a time of visit is stated on the Admission, you will not be admitted if you arrive late unless a later admission time becomes available on that day, and then only at our absolute discretion. No refund will be made should you arrive late, on the wrong day or after opening hours and not be admitted. If you arrive early, you will not be admitted until the time specified on the Admission unless we agree otherwise.
2.5 As working royal palaces, all of the Official Residences are used frequently by the monarch and the Royal Family for state ceremonies and official entertaining, and the opening arrangements for the Official Residences may change at short notice. In the event of a closure taking place at the Residences on your proposed visit date, we reserve the right to cancel and refund your Admission, or, where possible, offer an alternative visit date.
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Admission Restrictions and Controls
3.1 The Official Residences are protected sites under section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Trespass at the site is a criminal offence. You must remain within the public area at all times. Failure to do so may make you liable to prosecution.
3.2 You agree at all times while visiting the Residence to comply with the Conditions and with any directions given by ourselves or by our representatives.
3.3 During the current state of Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to COVID-19, you agree at all times while visiting the Residence(s) to comply with government guidelines for permitted social gathering and social distancing in your local region of origin as well as in the region of the Residence including ones that might restrict the size of your group or the number of households allowed within one group. Where advised you should observe social distancing. You also agree that if you are unwell or should be in isolation along with your household, you will contact us to cancel your visit and will not attend the Residence(s). Any member of staff and/or any authorised person may refuse admission to, or to eject from the residence at any time without refund any Ticket Holder who, in their reasonable opinion, is not complying with restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the virus to any other visitors and our staff.
3.4 You agree to submit to, and comply with, the security checks in place at the point of admission to the Residence and at such other points on the premises of the Residence as we consider appropriate. We may refuse admission if you fail to submit to or to comply with the security checks.
3.5 Any member of staff and/or any authorised person may refuse admission to, or to eject from the residence at any time without refund any Ticket Holder who, in their reasonable opinion, is not wearing appropriate attire. This includes the wearing of commercial, political or offensive signage or logos.
3.6 We welcome Visitors with additional access requirements. However, architectural limitations at the Official Residences mean that Visitors with such requirements may be required to use a designated route and our Health and Safety obligations mean that in certain Residences the numbers of such Visitors at any one time is limited. As such, you must inform our Ticket Sales and Information Office of any such access requirements at the time of booking. Further details of our access facilities can be found on our website www.rct.uk or by telephoning the Ticket Sales and Information Office on +44 (0)303 123 7324.
3.7 Children under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 17 (who must also have an Admission) ("the Responsible Adult"). Responsible Adults shall be held responsible for the acts of the children they accompany.
3.8 We may require that any Visitor (and, where the Visitor is a child, the Responsible Adult) whose behaviour is in any way disruptive or dangerous leaves the Residence immediately and without refund of the Admission(s) paid.
3.9 Animals, other than guide, hearing or assistance animals, will not be admitted to any Residence.
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Security
4.1 For safety reasons, subject to Clause 4.2, we may require you to deposit all baggage (including hand baggage) and (at our discretion) any other items including, but not limited to, umbrellas, sharp objects (including but not limited to penknives and scissors), pushchairs and any electrical or electronic equipment (but not including mobile telephones) brought into the Residence in the security cloakroom designated for this purpose. It is your responsibility to collect any personal possessions at the end of your visit. We will not be responsible for the safe-keeping of any item deposited in the security cloakroom or elsewhere and exclude all liability for the loss of any such item (except where such loss is due to our negligence or other breach of duty).
4.2 You may carry handbags and use pacemakers, hearing aids, powered wheelchairs and other electrical or electronic equipment needed for health reasons.
4.3 The consumption of food and drink (i) in the interior parts of the Residences, other than in designated café areas and (ii) wherever otherwise indicated is strictly prohibited. Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is strictly prohibited throughout the Residences.
4.4 The use of photographic, film and video equipment including wearable devices is not permitted inside Buckingham Palace, or Windsor Castle or the kitchens at Palace of Holyroodhouse; or in the private part of the gardens at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, or in Clarence House or its grounds.
Non-commercial use of photographic, film and video equipment including wearable devices without flash or tripods is permitted in The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace and The Queen’s Gallery, and Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mews public areas, the Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Garden exit route, the castle precincts at Windsor Castle and the outside areas at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Please note that no areas (including outdoor areas) at any of the Residences may be used as a location for wedding photography.
4.5 All mobile telephones must be switched off whilst visiting the Residences, unless using for photography in designated areas, as defined in 4.4.
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Liability
6.1 You acknowledge that you will be liable to us for any damage caused by you to the Residence or to any of its contents or for any injury caused to any of our staff or representatives or to other Visitors during your visit. Without prejudice to the foregoing, you further agree that:
6.1.1 where you are the Responsible Adult, you shall also be liable for all children that you accompany; and
6.1.2 where you are the Organiser of a Group, you shall be jointly and severally liable (with the applicable Visitor(s)) for any damage caused by the Visitors in the Group.
6.2 Except in respect of death or personal injury caused by our negligence or by that of our employees or any other liability that cannot, as a matter of law be excluded or limited:
6.2.1 we exclude our liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense suffered by you or occurring to any items belonging to you as a result of your visit; and
6.2.2 our liability to you shall be limited to the price of your Admission. Under no circumstances will we be liable to you or to any third party for any consequential or indirect loss, damage or expense.
6.3 Without prejudice to Clause 6.2, we will not be liable for any breaches of the Conditions or delays arising from any event outside our control, including (but not limited to) fire, flood, storm, strikes, riots, civil commotion, material disaster, unscheduled State occasions, war or acts of governmental or parliamentary authority.
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Data Protection
Your privacy is extremely important to us. Our Privacy Notice outlines the way in which we gather and use information relating to you. Any personal information we gather from you will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and in accordance with the policy of the Royal Household. For more details, please see the full Privacy Notice on our website.
In making the application you give your consent to the uses and disclosures of your data specified in our Privacy Notice on behalf of yourself and any other Visitors whose details are included and confirm that you have the authority of any such other Visitors to do so.
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General
8.1 If you breach any provision of the Conditions, we are entitled to cancel your Admission immediately and without incurring any liability to you. We are also entitled (but not obliged) to cancel your Admissions immediately if you are unable to pay your debts within the definition set out in sections 123(1) or (2) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (interpreted on the basis that the words "it is proved to the satisfaction of the court" in sections 123(1)(e) and 123(2) are omitted), a receiver or an administrative receiver is appointed over any part of your assets, there is a presentation of a petition, or the making of an order or the passing of a resolution for your winding up, you make a proposal for or enter into any arrangement or composition for the benefit of your creditors or have a receiver (whether administrative, Law of Property Act 1925 or otherwise) appointed or you enter into an administration or any step is threatened or taken with a view to your administration or any event occurs, or proceedings are taken, with respect to you in any jurisdiction to which you are subject that has an effect equivalent or similar to any of the above events.
8.2 The Admission is personal to you and may not be assigned, transferred or resold in any manner whatsoever other than in accordance with the Conditions.
8.3 Admissions may not under any circumstances be altered, defaced, overwritten or copied. Any Admission which has been so treated is automatically void and the Visitor holding it will not be admitted.
8.4 The Conditions shall not be enforceable by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by any person who is not a party to them.
8.5 The Conditions apply to all Admissions and supersede any earlier Conditions and all terms and conditions applying to previous years. All other terms and conditions whether express or implied are hereby excluded. The Conditions may not be waived or amended without our written consent.
8.6 The Conditions shall be construed in accordance with the laws of England.
8.7 Any disputes arising under the Conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
