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In April self-guided tour tickets around the palace gardens went on sale, initially attracting “overwhelming” demand. For £16.50 per adult or £42 for a family of up to three children, they promised a chance to enjoy the “beauty and calm of this walled oasis”.
Visitors were also promised a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to picnic on the lawn”.
Self-guided tours around the Buckingham Palace Gardens were introduced after coronavirus halted palace exhibitions last year.
The 39-acre site has a number of notable features, including trees planted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
However, the gardens received a number of damning reviews on TripAdvisor, with some customers complaining about how much was available.
A number noted you had to pay an extra £6.50 for a tour of the rose garden and wildflower meadow, and this needed to be arranged in advance.
One disappointed visitor wrote: “Buckingham Palace has opened its gardens to the public for the first time this year – it really shouldn’t have bothered.
“For your £16.50, you gain access to a large lawn with one herbaceous border. We expected the garden to be spectacular, but it was totally underwhelming.
“The (potentially) more interesting parts of the garden were roped off and only accessible if you parted with yet more cash on a guided ‘tour’.
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“You can’t even sit on the lake’s bank to watch wildlife because of those ropes everywhere. I am very disappointed and robbed by the royals.
“Please choose any other London park to visit and you will save your hard earn monies and spent time in much better surroundings.”
A third complained: “Gardens are a waste of time and money. Large portions were cordoned off.
“Takes less than one hour to get around. Also expensive coffee and cake.”
The Queen is currently at Balmoral Castle, her Aberdeenshire estate.
She has been joined by Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their six-month-old son August.
Photos published by The Sun revealed the family arrived on Wednesday.
Prince Charles is also in Scotland and attended the Grampian Highland Games on Saturday.
The future king was pictured cheering on the competitors whilst wearing a green and red tartan kilt, along with a leather sporran.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic a number of highlands games, which usually attract over 300,000 spectators per year, have been cancelled for 2021.
Express.co.uk has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.
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