Buckingham Palace – The Global Leaders Program Begins!

Buckingham Palace – The Global Leaders Program Begins!

Buckingham Palace - The Global Leaders Program Begins!

Students outside Buckingham Palace

Students outside Buckingham Palace

No sooner had everyone arrived safely in Cambridge, than we were off on our first Reach outing – London! And what a lovely time to visit – less than a week after our future king was born (Prince George of Cambridge, no less!), London was still buzzing with excitement. After meeting our brilliant tour guide Trisha at St. Paul’s Cathedral, we went on to Buckingham Palace.  Visiting one of the Queen’s official residences was a great way to start a week in which students will be exploring different aspects of leadership from the UK and around the world. The Queen (and her pet corgis) had just left for their summer holidays in Balmoral only two days before, so we were some of the first
View of the Palace from the scenic St James' Park

View of the Palace from the scenic St James’ Park

visitors inside the palace this summer. The state rooms had been decorated as they were sixty years ago at the Queen’s coronation, as part of the Jubilee celebrations. There was also an impressive art collection, and gardens that looked lovely in the sunshine. We walked from Buckingham Palace, past some famous London sights like the Mall, St James Park and Trafalgar Square, with Trisha telling us some interesting facts along the way. We ended up in Covent Garden, where there was time to explore the famous market, shops, and enjoy the array of street performers that the area is famous for. What a wonderful way to get to know each other and England’s capital city!