William III was obviously a hugely important monarch but let’s be honest, how many tourists have ever heard of him? Unless you actually paid attention at school then you probably won’t have a clue who he is. George I and II lived here as well. Victoria lived here as a princess but packed her bags for Buckingham Palace soon as she got promoted to Queen.
Diana did it the other way around: she carried on living here after she got divorced. I wonder how many tourists come here solely because they’re fans of Princess Di? If that’s your only reason for visiting then trust me: don’t bother. I will explain why later. Nowadays it’s home to Prince William and Kate and their kids, but their apartments are due west of the golden gate and can’t be seen by the public.
Each part of the palace covers a different period in history. You can visit them in any order you like but the highlight for me are Queen Victoria and Albert’s apartments upstairs. Every room has its equivalent in Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court, but they’re all on a much smaller scale. You still have a Presence Chamber, Privy Chamber, private dining room and bedroom, etc., but there are no big ballrooms, Great Halls or religious chapels.
Queen Victoria’s State Apartments
I get the impression that the State Apartments must have been stripped of their furniture at some point because a lot of the rooms are very sparsely decorated. Presumably Queen Victoria emptied them all out when she moved to Buckingham Palace because they don’t seem very lived in anymore. You get told that this room housed so-and-so, but where are the chairs? Where are the original desks and bookcases and beds and everything else?
They’ve scrawled a few quotes on the pillars and mirrors and pinned up a few placards, hung a few paintings on the walls, plonked a couple of cabinets in the corner with Albert’s razor in them, some music books, and their little kid’s toys… but it’s just ephemera. It’s not a time capsule. It hasn’t been frozen in time. You’re not looking at a snapshot of Victorian England.
Queen Victoria’s black dresses
The dresses are quite interesting because you can see how tiny Queen Victoria must have been. I happen to think that she was quite good-looking when she was younger but the photos of her looking mean and moody in her seventies are the total opposite – she looks like one of those mad old nans that your grandkids dread to visit every Christmas. She definitely liked the colour black after Albert died because it’s all black black black. Black dresses, black hats, black thoughts. She was the world’s first emo-Goth. I can understand her being upset and mourning him for a little while, but thirty years? Seriously?
William III and Mary’s Apartments
William and Mary’s rooms are all dark wood and not a lot of furniture, and if you’re into them then trust me: just visit Hampton Court Palace instead because their surviving suite of rooms over there are far superior.
The Georgian suites are decorated in deep reds and golds and have jaunty tunes by Handel playing in the background, which perfectly suits the mood. The King’s Gallery is the standout room. It’s a bit like the Waterloo Gallery at Apsley House, or a poor man’s version of the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Diana’s dress exhibition
I don’t think our Royal Family has quite forgiven Princess Diana yet judging by her lack of presence at the palace. If you’re hoping to see her living quarters then forget it. Her private residence would obviously be a tremendous draw for the tourists but they don’t allow you anywhere near it.
The only possessions you can see of hers are a load of dazzling display cases filled with her most memorable dresses, a few of her front covers from Harpers and Vogue, and film clips of her dancing with John Travolta and meeting Michael Jackson. But that’s basically all you get for Diana. Her public and private meltdowns are still far too embarrassing to discuss so they’ve focused on the least controversial thing about her: her clothes. She’s been recast as a fashion model. Maybe one day we’ll have a proper exhibition about her life, but not while Prince Charles is still around to veto it.
So is Kensington Palace worth a visit? If you’re a big fan of the Royal Family then my answer is yes (especially if you’re interested in Queen Victoria). But if you’re a tourist with limited time then my answer is probably no. You need to remember that I’m writing as a tourist guide here, and not as an historian, so I’m looking for totally different things.
I want to see twenty quid’s worth of memories to tell your friends about when you get back home. I want to see people’s mouths fall open when they enter an amazing room. I want to see people taking photos on their phones so they don’t forget what they’re seeing. But you need to go to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or Hampton Court for that.
If you enjoy this then try Buckingham Palace (take a tube journey from Queensway to St Jamess Park); Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle. If you fancy some exercise then try our self-guided walk around Royal London (but be aware it’s five miles long!). You could also try visiting Kew Palace inside Kew Gardens
The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon
Your comments and questions
Patricia Where can we see the golden gate in Kensington Palace? What is the nearest underground station?
Craig High Street Kensington is the closest station. Then you have to walk down the high street and turn left into Kensington Gardens. The gate is at the southern end of the palace
Adrian Do you actually get to see where Prince William and Catherine live? If not why don't they do that? They let us see where the queen lives at Buckingham Palace and where charles lives at Clarence House
Craig Hi Adrian. William and Kate don't actually live in the main palace building, they live in some other buildings round the side. You can't see those. You only ever get to see the State rooms and apartments at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, you never get to see inside their private rooms.
Carolyn Hi Craig. Unfortunately Buckingham Palace will be closed when we are in London so we are trying to decide between Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle. Which one would you choose if you only had time for one?
Craig Hi Carolyn. That's an easy one -- it's Windsor every time. Everything about Windsor is better, the building itself, the splendour of the rooms, the history behind it... the only thing that might put me off is the fact that it's a day trip from London. If you choose Kensington Palace then at least you'll be able to see some other stuff on the same day. But Windsor will use up most of your day. I think it's worth it though.
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