Historic Royal Palaces: Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace unveils a palace of secret stories and public lives. Arrive through stunning landscaped gardens and be greeted by a statue of one of Kensington Palace’s most famous residents, Queen Victoria. Walk in the footsteps of Kings and Queens as you venture through the elegant state apartments. Filled with stories of two royal courts; the Stuarts and the Hanoverians, step back in time as you discover what you would have worn, how you would have had to behave and how to navigate the heady atmosphere of court at Kensington Palace.

At Kensington Palace guests can explore the story of Queen Victoria’s childhood in the very rooms where she was born and grew up. Learn how she was educated, how she entertained herself within her strict upbringing known as the Kensington system and visit the room where she held her first Privy Council meeting on becoming Queen. The Jewel Room displays an incredible suite of jewellery with specially commissioned gems for Queen Victoria. New from March 24; Kensington Palace will unveil a new exhibition, Untold Lives: A palace at work telling the stories of the forgotten individuals who have worked behind the scenes at the Palace over the centuries.

Crown to Couture:  visitors to Kensington Palace can enjoy the largest exhibition ever to be held inside its walls – Crown to Couture. Exploring the similarities between the Georgian Court and the contemporary red carpet, visitors will be immersed in a glamorous world which demonstrates how both a court attendance or a red-carpet appearance can form one of the greatest stages for fashionable display. Over two hundred objects will be going on display across the glittering State Apartments and intimate exhibition spaces, including an array of some of the most magnificent items from Historic Royal Palace’s own collection. Set to be one the most spectacular displays ever seen at the palace, it will transport visitors back to the 1720s and 30s when Kensington was at its most exciting and politically important, and will be set against some of the world’s most recognisable red carpet looks, including Lady Gaga’s green MTV awards dress to Lizzo’s breaktaking Met Gala look.

Palace Gardens – the beautiful gardens connect the palace with the landscape of the wider Kensington Gardens providing picturesque vistas. You will also be able to see the beautiful sunken garden, one of Princess Diana’s favourite spots and where her commemorative statue is now situated.

And in 2025, they are going back to the world of fashion with; ‘Dress Codes’ in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection and in 2026, they will be exploring princesses of resistance as we mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh and introduce the women of the Duleep Singh family.

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