Royal clocks to be changed as British Summer Time begins

A horological conservator adjustsa late-18th-century French mantelclock at Buckingham Palace (Royal Collection Trust/PA)

The time on more than 1,600 clocks at the King’s official residences will be changed this weekend, as British Summer Time begins.

A team of three horological conservators will work through the weekend to change the timepieces in the Royal Collection.

A horological conservator adjusts a clock — A horological conservator adjusts a late-18th-century mantel clock in the Yellow Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace (Royal Collection Trust/PA)

They include 450 at Windsor Castle, 350 at Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace in London, and 50 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

The Royal Collection Trust said the timepieces in the collection are some of the finest and most historic items at the palaces.

They include musical clocks, astronomical clocks and miniature clocks.

The trust released images showing horologists returning clocks to the Yellow Drawing Room and Centre Room in the east wing of Buckingham Palace, as works of art are reinstalled after the completion of five years of improvement works.

A late-18th-century French marble mantel clock in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace (Royal Collection Trust/PA)

The oldest in the collection is the Anne Boleyn Clock, which is said to have been given by Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn on the morning of their marriage in 1532.

The collection also includes Queen Charlotte’s watch, which was the first to have a lever escapement and is considered to be a forerunner of modern wrist and pocket watches.

The clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on March 31 and back by one hour at 2am on October 27.