As Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 90th birthday with pomp and circumstance, you may be feeling a little envious of all the grandeur. But don鈥檛 fret! If travelling to Great Britain, there are more than a few ways to live like royalty.
Out and about in London
The capital of Great Britain is home to several splendid palaces. While in London, be sure to stop by , home to William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and , the Queen鈥檚 London home. While both offer tours, much of the palaces remain off-limits. The dazzling Crown Jewels can also be seen at the infamous . If you鈥檇 like to stroll in royal footsteps, has great suggestions for free walking tours, which includes royal parks and several palaces that are no longer inhabited.
A royal shopping spree
It鈥檚 easy to shop like the Queen. In Great Britain, Royal Warrant holders are businesses that supply goods or services to the upper tiers of the royal family. Two department stores on London鈥檚 famed Oxford Street, Europe鈥檚 busiest shopping boulevard, fit the bill: the ritzy and the swanky . You can view a full list of the 700-plus Royal Warrant holders, which spans everything from barbers to opticians, at www.royalwarrant.org.
Eat like a queen
Chocolate and sole top the list of the Queen鈥檚 favourite foods. For the former, visit in London for artisan truffles. , a private London dining club, is also a royal favourite. If you can鈥檛 land an invitation, international membership costs a whopping £400 a year, plus a joining fee of £250. No matter where you eat, be sure to wash it all down with a glass of gin and Dubonnet garnished with a slice of lemon and plenty of ice 鈥� the monarch鈥檚 favourite drink.
Sweet dreams
is the closest hotel to Buckingham Palace. To commemorate the monarch鈥檚 90th birthday, the hotel is offering a 3-night 鈥淟ive like Royalty鈥� package that features succulent afternoon tea, a horse-drawn carriage ride and a four-course gourmet dinner that includes meats from the same butcher that supplies the royal family. Royals themselves have also enjoyed the opulence of and hotels.
Abroad in Britain
When she鈥檚 not at Buckingham Palace, the Queen often spends her weekends at leafy , 35km west of London. In the summer, the monarch can often be found in Scotland. The in Edinburgh is used as a stopover on her way to one of her favourite: imposing in rugged Aberdeenshire, which opens its sprawling gardens to tourists when the Queen isn鈥檛 around.
