What Is Kensington Palace?
This royal palace was one of the masterworks of architect, Christopher Wren, and the birthplace of Queen Victoria!
What Makes It Historical?
What was once the humble Nottingham House underwent a grand transformation in 1689 as co-rulers, William III and Mary II sought out a new residence that wasn’t as smoggy as central London and was much closer to Parliament. With Mary taking charge, and her haste claiming the life of at least one worker, the transformation was complete in less than a year with huge parties commencing in 1691. For three years, this was both a royal party palace and a place for the king to meet his spies, but that all came to an end in 1694 when Mary died from smallpox!
While William and Mary’s successor, Queen Anne, contributed a lovely greenhouse called the Orangery, where she distributed money to her subjects on Easter, George I gave the palace its greatest makeover. With William Kent at the helm, Kensington Palace was enlarged and received its grand King’s Staircase with life-sized paintings of George I’s subjects! It became a party palace again under George II and Queen Caroline, who separated Kensington Gardens from Hyde Park and made it her own royal garden!
After George II died in 1760, no reigning monarch stayed here for almost 70 years! George III’s granddaughter, Alexandrina Victoria, was born here in 1819, raised in isolation under a strict education system, and elevated to the status of queen in 1837, holding her first Privy Council in the Red Saloon a few weeks before leaving for Buckingham Palace!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Become a member of Historic Royal Palaces!
- Donate to Historic Royal Palaces!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Kensington Palace Gardens
NW corner of Broad Walk and Palace Walk
London W8 4PX
United Kingdom
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Kensington Palace opens for visitors daily from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM!
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