The childhood home of Queen Victoria, who was born here in 1819 and was living here when she received news of her accession in 1837, Kensington Palace has been a royal residence for over 300 years.
Originally built in 1605 as a small villa, then called Nottingham House, it was purchased in 1689 by King William III and Queen Mary II, who commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to expand and transform it into a palace to be their country retreat. It became the favoured London residence of British monarchs until 1760, when George III moved the court to Buckingham Palace.
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Today, it remains a working royal residence, with the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent all living in apartments in the palace. Other past residents have included the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret.
Kensington Palace is open year round; You can explore the Sunken Garden – redesigned in 2017 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death – and the Cradle Walk, an arched arbour of red-twigged lime.
