白金汉宫9

The Duke was blessed with a rich wife.

So he leased this land from the crown,

and on it, built a lavish mansion equal to his ambitions.

Although not a stone of it is visible today.

The Duke might have known how to make a big impression,

but he wasn't too good at settling his debts.

One day, while the house was being built,

the architect took them both up on the roof

and then threatened to throw them both off

if the Duke didn't pay the wages he owed.

Needless to say, the Duke paid up.

By the 1760s, the house was up for sale.

The young king, George III,

snapped it up as the perfect wedding present for his new wife,

Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

An aristocratic mansion became the home of the British monarchy.