It’s crazy how many times I’ve visited London and still have not checked all the boxes in “things to see”.  With the Diana, Her Fashion Story exhibit, I thought it was about time to venture over to Kensington Palace for a tour.  As I exited the Kensington tube station, I had a bit of a walk through the park and gardens which were a lovely starting point as I made my way past the ponds and on the tree lined walking path toward the palace. If the weather isn’t good, consider a cab to the entrance as it can get windy on the path.

It was a brisk January day and yet the residents of the park, namely the birds, swans and ducks were swimming and flying around. More were swarmed around tourists with food (do not feed them!).  I can imagine the large pond is a wonderful gathering place in warmer weather.

 

As I approached, the Queen Victoria statue welcomed me. A nice feature is the London Talking Statue program that you can access to learn more. There are 30 Talking Statues in London if you want to add that to your “to do” list.

Visiting Kensington Palace Pricing & Hours

Unlike the museums in the city, Kensington Palace charges an admission fee.  The price of 19.50 GBP (adult ticket) which can be bought online (cheaper), in person or via many tour groups.  While there are a few ticket cashiers, its a small area so don’t be surprised by the queue (line) which moves relatively quickly.  Hours are relatively short each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last admittance at 5 p.m.  The public displays at Kensington Palace are set up for ease of access and in bite sized portions so that everyone can enjoy their visit. In the winter, one hour is enough to tour the property inside, in the summer when there are crowds you might need two hours set aside and longer for the gardens.

Kensington Palace Visit

Kensington Palace is divided into the private side that Royals live in (no, I didn’t see Wills and Kate or the kids) and the public side that allows you to visit the Kensington Palace State Apartments and public rooms.  Whilst onsite you can also visit the palace gardens, which include the Sunken Garden, and the cafe.  As it was January, I was able to visit in just over an hour as part of the Victoria Reveled section was closed.  I would budget two hours maximum for you to wander and enjoy the history of the palace.

Once you have your ticket in hand, you have two directions to go – one leads you through the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments which then leads you down one floor to the exhibit space for temporary attractions before returning you to the starting point where you can go upstairs to the Victoria Revealed section (part of which was closed during my visit).

The King’s and Queen’s Apartment

You can see in the King’s rooms life in the 1700’s as the Georgians discovered music, fashion and art.  There’s a unique feeling to the eight rooms design and flow.  It’s like music filling each room and you can imagine the merriment. It’s full of gold, glory and glamour.

The Stuart dynasty is represented in Queen Mary II private rooms.  Six rooms encompass the queen’s drawing room, bedroom, dining room, closet and gallery before the staircase leads you to current exhibit.

Exhibit: Diana, Designing for a Princess

There’s a separate review about Diana, Her Fashion Story which encompasses six rooms each with a theme as Diana’s fashion evolved from teenager to worldwide celebrity and icon.  Now Kensington Palace is showcasing Diana: Designing for a Princess.  Admission to the special exhibit is included in your palace ticket. If you are keen to visit the exhibit, I would recommend advanced tickets to make sure you don’t miss it.

 

Special Exhibit: Victoria Revealed at Kensington Palace

After my visit to the V&A Museum, I was quite interested to learn more about Queen Victoria and her true love Albert as so much of London is in tribute to Albert.  During my visit there was a special exhibit upstairs – Victoria Revealed.

The exhibit was a mix of her life as Queen in three rooms: The Saloon room, where at age 18, she became Queen and held her first Privy Council meeting; The “Family Life” room representing her life as a mother; and the “Falling in Love” room about her true love with Albert. Don’t we all wish we had a “falling in love” room?

I was able to get a seat at the formal privy council table to learn more about Victoria from the guide.

Overall – Visiting Kensington Palace

Since this is a working palace, there are a few rooms on the ground floor that serve a singular purpose and are off limits (there were staff roaming in and out of the lamp room – I can only imagine how many light bulbs they have to change!).

I’m glad I was able to visit Kensington Palace on this winter trip as it was less crowded and gave me time to linger where I wanted.  The details are lovely and understated as you would imagine the British Royals to be when compared to Versailles in Paris or the Vanderbilt Newport summer home, The Breakers in the U.S.   Visiting Kensington Palace is great for those who want an inside peek at Royal life.  The cafe serves tea and cakes you can enjoy in the garden and sells souvenirs if you need royal memories to bring home.