Ham, I found a way to partially beat the photography ban at Buckingham Palace, at least to take an unobstructed photo of someone standing in front of it. They let us out the big gates at the front and I turned around after getting onto the pavement and took a picture looking back through them while they were open. No rules broken, as anyone can take a picture from outside. Of course, it would be difficult to have known when the gates were going to open if I hadn't just come through them at the time.

They actually allowed people to take pictures in the courtyard at Buckingham Palace, where you weren't really in or out, i.e. not actually inside the building but you couldn't be seen by the great unwashed on the outside. OTOH, pictures taken at that spot look rather anonymous - you could be almost anywhere!

I don't know if they have a designated area like a courtyard at St. James' Palace where you can take pictures. I also wonder if security is tighter than it used to be. For example, I wonder if they even open the larger gates now. I assume they still continue to allow you to take a camera inside (if not use it), as otherwise how would you be snapping pictures outside?