What is it?
One of five London properties managed by Historic Royal Palaces, Kensington Palace has been an official royal residence since 1689.
It began as a reasonably modest, two-story suburban villa built by Sir George Coppin during the reign of King James I, a time when Kensington was a quiet village on the outskirts of London. Initially the home of a wealthy businessman, it was purchased by the first Earl of Nottingham before being acquired by William III and Mary II, who planned to use it as a countryside retreat with easy access to Parliament.
The royal couple engaged Sir Christopher Wren to renovate Nottingham House, adding north and south wings, three-storey pavilions at each corner, and manicured Dutch-style gardens before moving in on Christmas Eve 1689. Kensington Palace has since been home to Queen Anne, George I, George II and Queen Victoria, and countless minor royals. More recently it has become a London base for the younger generation of royals; the Prince and Princess of Wales currently reside in apartments at the Palace, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first home in a cottage on its grounds.
It might not be as large as Hampton Court or the notorious Tower, but the (comparatively) modest Jacobean architecture and impeccably groomed grounds are absolutely stunning and well worth a poke around—something visitors have been able to do since 1899 when Queen Victoria marked her 80th birthday by opening up the State Apartments to visitors.
Why go?
Imagination is overrated. Why try to envisage the corridors that Queen Victoria once wandered when you can wander the very same halls yourself? The opportunity to explore the very spaces where British history was made is one of the coolest things about London’s Historic Royal Palaces; you get to look out of the windows where William and Mary’s courtiers would have stood gossiping during one of their famous Drawing Room balls, admire the same views that Queen Anne’s guests enjoyed during summer parties at her Orangery, and see the bedroom in which Queen Victoria was awoken on June 20 1837 and told she was to be queen.
Don’t miss:
The Palace has boasted an affair with some of the nation’s favourite princesses, forging a reputation as the most glamorous of all the royal residences in the process. Princess Margaret lived here for 42 years, while Diana the Princess of Wales lived here in the early days of her marriage to Prince Charles, and then after their 1992 until her death. With both princesses having been renowned for their fashion sense, it’s no surprise that Kensington Palace has come to be known as the ‘Fashionable Palace’, something that is often illuminated through its exhibition programme. Following on from 2019’s Diana: Her Fashion Story and 2023’s Crown to Couture, March 2025 sees the opening of Dress Codes, showcasing treasures from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. It promises to be another must-see spectacle for the capital’s lovers of couture.
When to visit:
10am-4pm daily excluding select days when facilities are being used for royal events. Peak season is between late spring and early autumn, with weekends and school holidays being the busiest times.
Ticketing info:
£20, £10 children and young people (aged 5-17), under 5s go free. Concessions available for disabled visitors, full-time students and groups of more than 15, while £1 tickets are available for visitors on Universal Credit.
Time Out tip:
Audio guides of the palace are available free of charge, and offer plenty of illuminating stories from curators, historians and palace staff; pick one up at the hub by the ticket scanning desk, or download the Kensington Palace app to listen on your own device. And be sure to also check the schedule of daily talks, which usually includes three or four 15-minute chats from the palace’s expert guides taking place in different parts of the palace each day.