You can now tour Buckingham Palace in VR thanks to Google

It's the year of virtual reality and there's already a mass of VR content coming to the fore to keep your new headset busy.

Forget immersive games and interactive TV shows though, Google is giving us a virtual tour of the one landmark we all want to peek inside - the Queen's house.

Dubbed the Buckingham Palace Expedition, the Google Cardboard and Gear VR-friendly YouTube experience gives you free ​reign rein to nose around every nook and cranny of the big house.

From the green drawing room and grand staircase to the throne room and the Palace's picture gallery - via a secret doorway - the guided tour is the modern equivalent of an audio tour... just without having to actually leave your living room.

So, why has Buckingham Palace been given the VR treatment? Well, according to Google, it's a location that resonates with people around the world.

"Buckingham Palace was the number one spot that kids around the world wanted to see," Google's Programme Manager Jennifer Holland said.

She added: "The palace is not just an historic residence, there is something quite mystical and majestic about it, as the Queen lives there and it is a working royal residence. It is of endless fascination."