Kensington Palace
- July 3, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Nosferatu from Newark, California
Visiting Kensington Palace is a wonderful way to learn quite a bit about British monarchy from the 17th century onward. This palace was first built for the Earl of Nottingham, but was then acquired by William III in 1689 as another residence to get away from the dirty London air. At the time, Kensington was not part of London city proper, but was still close enough for the monarchs to return to Buckingham for state affairs.
The palace is still in use today by Royalty and was the primary home of Princess Diana until her death. In fact, during the time of our visit, there was an exhibit "Diana, Princess of Wales by Mario Testino" that was on display.
The palace itself is quite magnificent to walk around in. It is much bigger than it looks from the outside. Some of the more interesting rooms were the ones used by Queen Victoria as a child. The King's Gallery and Cupola Rooms are also impressive as they house some of the best royal paintings and serve as the main state room of the palace, respectively.
On the Kensington Grounds, there is an Orangery which used to serve as a greenhouse for plants during the winter months. It has now been turned into a palace restaurant.
The rest of the grounds around the palace is lavishly decorated with flowers and plants. However, it still has a formal look to it modelled after the Tudor Gardens at Hampton Court.
All in all, this is a good way to spend about three or four hours, especially if you are a history buff. The only disappointing this about this visit is that we were not allowed to take pictures inside the palace.
From journal London--The Heart of the Empire
Editor Pick
Kensington Palace
- April 6, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Scorpiosue1102 from Hoffman Estates, Illinois
I had heard mixed reviews on Kensington Palace, but the Anglophile royal fan in me said, "Why not?" and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved it.
First off, the setting is wonderful. We walked from the High Street Kensington tube station to Kensington Gardens. There were nice shops along the way. We grabbed a water and stopped for a spell in Kensington Gardens, looking at the beautiful Kensington Gardens. The views are spectacular. Even the trees have character.
Next, you get to walk through the Palace Gardens, which are breathtaking, with the pond, fountains and sculpted garden beds. We were there in spring, and all the flowers were in bloom. There were wonderful colors. It was a nice place to catch your breath.
The first thing you see when you enter and pay is the court dress from around the mid-18th century to the present. It's amazing how elaborate they were, especially in the Victorian era. They don't just have them on a form, but on lifelike models. This way you see an actual scene from court. Diana's dresses are in a different area, but you do get to see many of the dresses that were in all the gossip rags. They are all beautiful, of course, but there aren't much else of Diana things at the palace. You do not get to see her apartments. If you are going just for that, you will be disappointed.
Next, the state rooms open to the public are wonderful. The most modern ones are those of the late Princess Margaret. It is interesting that they are more stripped down and kind of have a bare-essentials feeling. As you go up a level, you get to see the rooms commissioned by Christopher Wren. There is beautiful gilding in every room, along with fantastic artwork. Everything, from rugs and vases to furniture, is still there. But the thing is, you truly get the feeling that you are part of that era. The fact that you can walk through a room that Queen Victoria herself walked in--wow!!! It was at Kensington Palace that Victoria was awakened to be told she was now queen. For someone like me, it is steeped in history and grandeur. Also, the audio headphones are a great tour guide.
Kensington Palace was well worth a visit by this Anglophile's account.
From journal My Trip to London