Kensington Palace, London
Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence. Of great historical importance, Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of successive sovereigns until 1760. Kensington Palace has been a royal home for over 300 years and parts of the palace remain a private residence for members of the Royal Family today. The magnificent State Apartments and the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, are open to the public.
Queen Victoria was born in this palace in 1819, and Princess Margaret and other royals also resided here. A Jacobean mansion in Kensington Gardens (next to Hyde Park), Kensington Palace was the London residence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Visitor attractions include the state apartments and the Royal ceremonial dress collection. Lunch and tea are served in the Orangery or the Winter Cafe (depending on the time of year), which is open from 9a-6p.
History
King William 111 bought the house from the Earl of Nottingham in 1689 and had it remodelled by Sir Christopher Wren. At the time the house was a welcome respite from the unpredictable drains of Whitehall Palace. Several state rooms are open to the public, details. Set in the middle of the graceful Kensington Gardens its is near the fashionable shopping districts of Kensington, Knighstbridge and Chelsea
The King’s asthma dictated a move from Whitehall Palace to the healthier air of Kensington. Sir Christopher Wren was engaged to design improvements to the house and the Clock Court and the South Front, including the 96-foot Long Gallery were added.
After William III’s death in 1702 the palace became the residence of Queen Anne. Wren designed the Orangery for her and a 30-acre garden was laid out by Henry Wise.
The Palace was severely damaged during the Second World War, and it took until 1949 before the palace was reopened. The Museum of London, which had occupied the building for some time moved to the Barbican in 1976 but the State Apartments can still be visited. It is also home to an exhibition ‘Dressing for Royalty’, dedicated to Royal Fashion. The collection includes dresses worn by former Queens as well as a number of dresses for Princess Diana, who occupied apartments in the north-west part of Kensington Palace from 1981 to 1997
Decription
Furniture and ceiling paintings from the Stuart-Hanoverian periods, rooms from the Victorian era and works of art from the Royal Collection. Highlights include the Kings Apartment with a magnificent collection of Old Masters, Tintoretto and Van Dyck amongst them. The Palace is also the home of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, a unique display of royal, ceremonial and court dress including a selection of dresses worn and owned by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Kensingston Gardens
Covering 111 hectares (275 acres), Kensington Gardens is planted with formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. It is a perfect setting for Kensington Palace, peaceful Italian Gardens, the Albert Memorial, Peter Pan statue and the Serpentine Gallery.
Directions: Underground: Central Line to Queensway or Notting Hill Gate, or
Circle/District Lines to High Street Kensington or Gloucester Road.
Bus: Bayswater Road: 12, 94. Kensington Road: 9, 10, 33, 49, 52, 52A and C1.
Opening Times: 1st March to 31st October 10.00 - 17.00
1st November to 28th February 10.00 - 16.00
Kensington Palace is closed 24-26 December and 1st January.
