What Is Kensington Palace? The Royal Home of William III, Queen Victoria and Diana

Bought by William III and Mary II in 1689 and rebuilt by Christopher Wren, Kensington Palace is where Queen Victoria was born and grew up, and it is still home to members of the Royal Family.

Visit

The King's State Apartments and the current exhibition. Kensington Palace Tickets.

Location

Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX, on the western side of the park. Directions.

Visit duration

The palace suggests two to three hours. Plan your visit.

Highlights

The King's State Apartments, Queen Victoria's birthplace, the Sunken Garden and the Orangery.

Nearby

Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall.

Kensington Palace in Brief

Kensington Palace is a royal palace on the western edge of Kensington Gardens. It began as a Jacobean country house, and William III and Mary II turned it into a palace in 1689, when Christopher Wren enlarged it so the court could live away from the smoke of Whitehall. For the next seventy years it was a home of the reigning monarch.

After George II, no king or queen lived here again while on the throne, but the palace never emptied. Queen Victoria was born and raised in it, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales made their homes here, and it is still a working royal residence. The State Apartments are run by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces and open to visitors.

Why Kensington Palace Matters

Four monarchs died here: Mary II, William III, Queen Anne, and later George II, the last reigning monarch to use the palace.

Queen Victoria was born in the palace on 24 May 1819 and learned she was queen here on 20 June 1837.

William Kent painted the state rooms for George I from 1722, including the King's Staircase.

The State Apartments first opened to the public on Queen Victoria's 80th birthday, 24 May 1899.

Historic Royal Palaces has cared for the public rooms since 1998.

Who Built Kensington Palace? From Nottingham House to Wren's Palace

The palace started life as Nottingham House, a two-storey Jacobean mansion built by Sir George Coppin in 1605. In the summer of 1689 William III and Mary II bought it for £20,000, wanting a home within reach of London but out of the smoke of Whitehall.

Christopher Wren was put in charge. He added three-storey pavilions at each corner and turned the house to face west, and the court moved in. Mary did not enjoy it for long: she died of smallpox at Kensington in 1694. William kept building, adding the King's Gallery, and died here in 1702 after a riding accident at Hampton Court.

Queen Anne made the palace her own. In 1704 and 1705 she added a grand garden building designed in Wren's circle, with carvings by Grinling Gibbons, and she died at Kensington on 1 August 1714.

Kensington Palace and the Georgian Court

The Hanoverians brought a livelier court. George I hired the painter William Kent in 1722, and Kent covered the new state rooms with painted ceilings and walls, including the staircase crowded with portraits of the king's courtiers. The rooms were built to impress, and they still do.

George II and Queen Caroline made Kensington the centre of fashionable court life. Caroline took a close interest in the grounds and did much to shape the gardens. George II died at the palace on 25 October 1760, and he was the last reigning monarch to live at Kensington.

After him the palace became a home for other members of the Royal Family rather than the sovereign, and it has stayed that way ever since.

Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace

Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819 and christened there. She grew up under the Kensington System, a strict regime devised by her mother's adviser, Sir John Conroy, which kept her so closely watched that she was not allowed to walk down stairs without holding someone's hand.

At six in the morning on 20 June 1837 she was woken with the news that her uncle, William IV, had died. She went to her sitting room in her dressing gown to hear it. That same day, aged 18, she held her first Privy Council in the Red Saloon; the Duke of Wellington said she not only filled her chair, she filled the room.

Soon afterwards she moved to Buckingham Palace and left Kensington, and Conroy, behind. Sixty-two years later the State Apartments opened to the public for the first time on her 80th birthday.

Who Lives in Kensington Palace?

Kensington Palace has been a home for members of the Royal Family for more than three centuries, and it still is. The Prince and Princess of Wales keep their London home and offices here, in Apartment 1A, though their main family home is in Windsor. Other members of the family have homes in the palace too, among them the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

The 20th century gave the palace its best-known residents. Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon moved into Apartment 1A in 1963, and Diana, Princess of Wales lived here from 1981, first with Prince Charles and later with her sons, until her death in 1997. The private apartments are closed to visitors; the public rooms are the State Apartments.

What Kensington Palace Is Famous For

Where Queen Victoria grew up

Victoria was born, christened and raised in the palace, and it was here she was told she was queen. The rooms of her childhood tell that story, from the Kensington System to the morning of her accession.

Rooms painted for a Georgian king

William Kent's painted staircase and ceilings were made to show off the Georgian court. The King's State Apartments are the heart of a visit, from the King's Staircase to the King's Gallery.

A statue for Diana

A statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, stands in the palace grounds. Her sons unveiled it on 1 July 2021, on what would have been her 60th birthday, in the Sunken Garden.

Built for Queen Anne

The garden building added for Queen Anne in 1704 and 1705 has carvings by Grinling Gibbons. Today it is a restaurant, serving afternoon tea beside the palace.

Kensington Palace: Admission Ticket

Highlights

Discover the historic home of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family.

Wander through the grand State Rooms and marvel at stunning royal art and interiors.

Visit the beautifully decorated King’s State Apartments, King’s Gallery, Cupola Room, and Drawing Room.

Stroll in the serene Palace Gardens, including shaded paths and the famous Sunken Garden.

Experience over 300 years of royal history in a majestic London setting.

Seeing Kensington Palace for Yourself

A visit takes in the King's State Apartments and the palace's current exhibition, with an audio guide included. The Queen's State Apartments are closed until spring 2027 for re-presentation. Allow two to three hours, and leave time for a walk through the gardens outside.

Kensington Palace Photos

Kensington Palace Questions: Kings, Queens and Residents

Who lives in Kensington Palace?

The Prince and Princess of Wales have their London home and offices there, and other members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, also live at the palace.

When was Kensington Palace built?

The original house was built in 1605. It became a royal palace in 1689, when William III and Mary II bought it and Christopher Wren enlarged it.

Who built Kensington Palace?

Sir George Coppin built the first house, Nottingham House. Christopher Wren turned it into a palace for William III and Mary II.

Was Queen Victoria born at Kensington Palace?

Yes, on 24 May 1819. She grew up there and learned she was queen at the palace in 1837.

Did Princess Diana live at Kensington Palace?

Yes. Diana lived at Kensington Palace from 1981, and it remained her home until her death in 1997.

Is Kensington Palace still a royal residence?

Yes. It is a working royal palace, with private apartments for members of the Royal Family alongside the public State Apartments.

Who runs Kensington Palace?

The State Apartments are cared for by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity, which has managed them since 1998.

When did Kensington Palace open to the public?

The State Apartments first opened on 24 May 1899, Queen Victoria's 80th birthday.