Where to see the Royal Family

For quite a few people one of the attractions of a visit to the UK is the British Monarchy and the Royal Family(not the unemployed chavs in the BBC comedy). If you would like to get a close look at the Royals its a bit easier than you might think because they don’t only turn out on big state occasions but also throughout the year at various engagements throughout London and the rest of Britain.

In order of hierarchy at present, The Queen is top followed by Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry. There are many other Royals like Prince Charles’s brothers and sister and their offspring, but here is the public schedule for some of the main members of the Royal Family in February and March where you might get that photo opportunity or Royal handshake if they do a walkabout with the crowd.

1 February The Princess Royal(Princess Anne) visits the Salvation Army on Garford Street in Docklands. If you’re down there go to the Museum in Docklands near Canary Wharf, its excellant.
6 February Prince Andrew will visit the Royal Free Hospital on Pond Street near Hampstead Heath. I was down there just last week to visit a sick uncle, don’t try and drive its very difficult to park around that area, Hampstead Heath overground train station or Hampstead Tube are fairly close.
14 February The Princess Royal is visiting the University of Greenwich Business School on their campus right by the Thames at Greenwich not far from the Cutty Sark.
15 February The Queen is having an afternoon tea for the Arsenal Football Club at Buckingham Palace, always knew she was a fan. You probably won’t she Her Majesty but if you wait by the Palace gates you should see the King of the Emirates, Thierry Henry, and the rest of the boys roll in.
22 February The Duke of Edinburgh or Phil The Greek as he’s sometimes known is visiting St. Luke’s Hospital in Fitzroy Square just of the Euston Road, not far from the southeast corner of Regent’s Park. Most of it is pedestrianised so it shouldn’t be a problem getting around and taking a picture.
23 February The Queen is on a visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital which is on City Road in Shoreditch just to the north of Old Street station, on the left hand side as you head north.
27 February The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are going down to the most famous criminal court in Britain, the Old Bailey, to celebrate the centenary of the current building. Its a short walk from St Paul’s Cathedral, just off Lugate Hill, so if you’re visisting pop along and see the UK’s Head of State.
6 March The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are out again this time to the Barbican Centre for a concert, Moorgate is the nearest Tube.
12 March The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are going to Westminster Abbey for a Commonwealth Day Observance Service. Central location to lots of London’s major visitor sites.
21 March The Princess Royal is visiting a Save The Children shop at 36 Clapham High Street. Clapham North and Clapham Common Underground stations are at either end of the High Street.
27 March The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are back at Westminster Abbey for a service to make 200 years since the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll get close to a visiting Royal but whenever they go to open something, hospital, school etc they normally mingle with what ever crowd shows up.
I guess Prince Charles must be skiing for the next two months because his diary seems to be free.