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Kensington Palace
back to sights listingKensington Palace stands at the western end of Kensington Gardens and is perhaps the finest building in the Borough. The long history of this palace has been eclipsed in the last few years by -- some might say its most famous inhabitant -- the late Princess Diana, but royals have lived here for over 300 years. The King's William III 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. By coincidence, these monarchs happened to suffer rather ignominious deaths. William III fell off his horse when it stumbled on a molehill, and succumbed to pleurisy in 1702. Then, in 1714, Queen Anne suffered an apoplectic fit thought to have been brought on by overeating. Next, George I had a stroke, said to have been caused by "a surfeit of melons" -- although en route to Hanover in 1727. Worst of all, in 1760, poor George II burst a blood vessel while on the toilet.
But the royal curtain here always rang up on a remarkable changing cast of characters, no more so than when the 18-year-old Princess Victoria of Kent was called from her bed in June 1837 by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chamberlain. She was told that her uncle, William IV, was dead, and she was to be queen. The state rooms where Victoria had her ultrastrict upbringing have been renovated, although the King's apartments surpass these. Look out for Tintorettos and Van Dycks among the canvases; see the Mortlake tapestries commissioned by Charles I; and look at the ceiling in the Cupola Room: it appears to be domed but is actually as flat as a pancake. This palace is an essential stop for royalty vultures because it's the only one where you may actually catch a glimpse of the real thing. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent all have apartments here, as did Princess Margaret. The palace was the London home of Diana, Princess of Wales and is still home to several other members of the Royal Family.
Extending back centuries, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection showcases state and occasional dresses, hats, and shoes worn by Britain's Royal Family. Diana-watchers will note the difference between the formal garments of Her Majesty the Queen compared to the trendsetters of her late daughter-in-law. Other dazzlers of note are the coronation robes of Queen Mary and George V and a regal mantua -- a 6-ft-wide court dress.
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Address: Kensington Palace, The Broad Walk Kensington Gardens London W8, United Kingdom More Hotels in London: Sherlock Holmes hotel St Martins Lane Thistle Bloomsbury Thistle Charing Cross Thistle Barbican hotel Thistle Euston Thistle Marble Arch Thistle Piccadilly Thistle Westminster Tower Guoman Victoria Park Plaza Washington Mayfair Athenaeum London |
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