Kensington Palace
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Tags : Forts & Palaces
Timings : 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Time Required : 1-2 hours
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Kensington Palace, London Overview
Royal residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th Century, Kensington Palace, is situated in the Royal Borough of Kensington in Chelsea and London. A part of the palace, the State Rooms, is now a tourist attraction and is open for the public to explore and marvel at the grandeur, magnanimity, and history of the place.
Kensington Palace is the home to and holds childhood memories of Queen Victoria and of many other royal princes and princesses for almost 300 years now. While the State Rooms are managed by a non-profit charitable organisation, Historic Royal Palaces, the private space is taken care of by the Royal Household, under the care of Royal Household Property Section.
With entrances from sides, the place has relics and memorabilia from the Royal Collection on display, such as paintings and dresses worn by Queen Mary and Queen Victoria, audio and visual presentations, and other interactive experiences.
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Residents of the Palace
Multiple generations of the Royal Family have resided at the Kensington Palace together at different times. In total, 50 people including the staff and members of the military stay here. Currently, the inhabitants of the Palace with a Royal lineage to their credit include:
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife Catherine who live in a 22 room and 4 storey tall apartment.
- Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank who live in the Ivy Cottage, the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Prince Edward with his wife Katharine who live in Wren Cottage.
- Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry with his wife Meghan, living in Nottingham Cottage.
- The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent living in apartment 10, and Prince Richard with his wife Birgitte van Deurs.
About the State Rooms
During the 19th Century, the State Rooms inside the Kensington Palace were in a debilitated state with rotten woodwork and bricks. There were talks for the Palace to get knocked and torn down, but Queen Victoria took a stand stating that she wouldn’t let her childhood home be destroyed to ruins.
In the late 19th century, the palace was restored. The renovation took 2 years and almost GBP 12 million and was open to the public on Queen Victoria’s birthday on 24 May 1899.
Facts about Kensington Palace
- The Palace is the official residence of the Royal Family since 1837;
- The Palace has 775 rooms, which include 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 Royal bedrooms, and 19 State Rooms;
- The place is 24 metres (approx. 79 feet) in height, 108 metres (approx. 354 feet) in length, and 120 metres (approx. 394 feet) in depth;
- During the time when Princess Margaret lived here with Lord Snowden, they were known to throw elaborate parties with celebrities and artists;
- The Palace can host events such as weddings for a capacity of around 2000 people;
- The Palace is said to be haunted by the ghosts of its earlier inhabitants, like King George II and Princess Sophia;
- When Princess Diana died on 31 August 1997, the place was paraded with a million bouquets. Her apartment has not been inhabited by anyone since then.
Opening Times
Summers: 1 March - 31 October
| Monday-Sunday | 10 AM - 6 PM |
| Last Admission | 5 PM |
Winters: 1 November - 28 February
| Monday-Sunday | 10 AM - 4 PM |
| Last Admission | 3 PM |
Entry Prices
| Tickets | Online | With Donation |
| Members | Free | Free |
| Children (5-15) | GBP 8.70 | GBP 9.60 |
| Adult (18-64) | GBP 17.50 | GBP 19.30 |
| Age 65+, 16-17, full-time student | GBP 13.90 | GBP 15.30 |
| Family saver Pack 1 (1 adult + up to 3 children aged between 5-15) | GBP 32.50 | GBP 35.80 |
| Family saver Pack 2 (2 adults + up to 3 children aged between 5-15) | GBP 43.90 | GBP 48.30 |
Prior bookings online help you save the time of standing in the queues and money by 10%.
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