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Buckingham

Palace ballroom

LONDON: Buckingham Palace's ballroom, built for Queen Victoria and opened in 1856, will be accessible to tourists this year for the first time, the palace said Monday.

The ballroom is the biggest room in the palace Ñ large enough to hold 35 double-decker buses.

Designed by architect James Pennethorne, it was officially opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War. It was remodelled twice in the early 1900s for King Edward VII.

During the palace's annual opening, which runs from Aug 6 to Oct 1, a special exhibition is planned explaining all the major honours awarded at investitures. A video display is will show a state banquet in progress and examine how the ballroom is used for official entertaining.

More than 2.25 million people have toured Buckingham Palace's state rooms since they were opened to visitors in 1993.ÑAP