{"id":9897,"date":"2022-02-10T16:29:11","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T16:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/kensington-palace-london\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T14:44:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T14:44:28","slug":"kensington-palace-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/kensington-palace-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Kensington Palace in London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Nestled in the heart of Kensington Gardens,\n<\/em> Kensington Palace is an invitation<\/em>\ninto the enigmatic universe of the British crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Captain Ulysses on a tour of this sumptuous residence which remains today the home of illustrious members of the royal family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The Captain\u2019s tip<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to know more about the history of London?<\/strong> Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the capital<\/a><\/mark>. It\u2019s up to you to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for a hotel in London?<\/strong> Be sure to check out the Captain’s article: Where to stay in London? Advice & recommendations<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brief history of Kensington Palace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The origins of Kensington Palace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let’s go back in time to the beginning of the 17th<\/sup> century, shall we?\nIn 1619, the 1st Earl of Nottingham set his sights on a small renaissance mansion\nbuilt 14 years earlier in the village of Kensington (which was, at the time,\noutside the capital) and decided to make it his personal residence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seventy years later, in 1689, the freshly crowned King William of Orange (William III) and his wife, Queen Mary II, bought Nottingham House from the 2nd Earl of Nottingham. The new British monarch was indeed asthmatic and wanted to wants to take up residence in the countryside, far from the unbreathable atmosphere of the capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Golden Age of Kensington Palace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the couple’s request, major expansion works quickly started to make the small mansion\na palace worthy of the British crown. The project was entrusted to famous\narchitect Christopher Wren \u2013 known, among other things, for designing\nSt. Paul’s Cathedral in London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the following 70 years, Kensington Palace\n(also called Kensington House<\/em> ) was the favored residence of\nBritish monarchs: Queen Anne, King George I and King\nGeorge II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1819, the queen to be, Victoria, was born at the Palace of\nKensington, where she spent the first 18 years of her life, until\nher accession to power in 1837. The palace later became the residence\nof secondary members of the royal family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prince and Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1981, Prince Charles and Princess Diana took\nin turn residence at Kensington Palace, where their sons, William\nand Harry, spend the first years of their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1992, the couple separated: Prince Charles left\nKensington Palace for St. James’s Palace and Queen Elizabeth authorized\nLady Diana to stay at Kensington Palace. When Lady D. tragically passed away,\nmany Britons gathered at the gates of the palace to lay wreaths\nin her memory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kensington Palace today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Today, Kensington Palace continues to be inhabited by famous members of British royalty: Prince William and his wife Kate, as well as their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The palace also became the official residence of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle following their wedding in 2018, prior to their departure for the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kensington<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Kensington Palace and its gardens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kensington Palace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, only part of Kensington Palace\nis open to the public. There’s no chance\nof incidently running into the Duke nor the Duchess of Cambridge during your visit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Kensington Palace is an invitation to discover the daily lives of illustrious monarchs of the past and remains as such one of London’s top attractions. You will be able to explore: <\/p>\n\n\n\n