Why go
The palace also displays many paintings and other objects from the Royal Collection. Princess Louise had an art studio in the palace from which the statue of Queen Victoria in Kensington Gardens was sculpted. Upon Diana's death on 31 August 1997, the gates at Kensington Palace became the focus of public mourning with over one million bouquets, reaching 5 feet (1.5 m) deep in places, placed as tribute before them stretching out into Kensington Gardens.
What to look for
- Queen Anne died at Kensington Palace on 1 August 1714.
- King George II died at Kensington Palace on 25 October 1760.
- The Duchess of Inverness continued to reside at Kensington Palace until her death in 1873.
The full story
Today, the State Rooms are open to the public and managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, a nonprofit organization that does not receive public funds. The offices and private accommodation areas of the Palace remain the responsibility of the Royal Household and are maintained by the Royal Household Property Section. King William III and Queen Mary II Kensington Palace was originally a two-storey Jacobean mansion built by Sir George Coppin in 1605 in the village of Kensington. The mansion was purchased in 1619 by Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham and was then known as Nottingham House. Shortly after William and Mary assumed the throne as joint monarchs in 1689, they began searching for a residence better situated for the comfort of the asthmatic William, as Whitehall Palace was too near the River Thames, with its fog and floods, for William's fragile health.
Your next visit
Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.
Outdoor visit · 52–105 min
World planning estimate; admission, opening, visit duration and access need checking.