Historic Royal Palaces offer you Britain´s
top historic attractions.
Visitor information
Opening times
Mid-March to mid-October
Open daily 10.00 - 17.00
Gift Shop 10.00 - 18.00
Last admission 17.00
Mid-October to mid-March
Open daily 10.00 - 16.00
Gift Shop 10.00 - 17.00
Last admission 16.00
Kensington Palace is closed 24-26 December and 1st January.
Admission prices
Adults
£9.50
Students and senior citizens
£7.70
Children under 16
£7.10
Children under 5
Free
Family Ticket
£29.10 (up to 2 adults and 3 children)
Great British Heritage Pass
£1.00
Groups
Groups (15 paying visitors or more arriving together) must book in advance to get the group rate. Please
telephone +44 (0) 207 937 7079.
Shops and guidebooks
The shop at Kensington Palace sells guidebooks and an excellent range of gifts, postcards and souvenirs.
Catering
The Orangery provides the perfect setting for morning coffee, cakes, light lunches and traditional
afternoon teas. Groups should book in advance.
How to get there
By London Underground
Central Line to Queensway or Notting Hill Gate, or
Circle/District Lines to High Street Kensington or Gloucester Road.
By bus
Bayswater Road: 12, 94.
Kensington Road: 9, 10, 33, 49, 52, 52A and C1.
Kensington Palace was once a favoured home of some of Britain's most famous
kings and queens and the setting for many great events and dramas in royal history.
Parts of the palace remain a private residence for members of the Royal Family;
the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection are open to
the public.
The State Apartments
The State Apartments at Kensington Palace reflect the tastes of the
monarchs who lived there. Much of the original decoration still survives
and many furnishings and works of art are displayed in the positions for
which they were originally intended. There are several stunning examples
of William Kent's work, including the magnificent Cupola Room where the
young Princess Victoria (the future Queen Victoria) was christened, and
the King's Grand Staircase where members of George I's court can be
seen depicted on the walls.
Exterior
The south and east façades of Kensington Palace are aligned on
Kensington Gardens. The South Front was built for William III in 1695
and became the main architectural feature of the palace. Internally, it
provided the King with a new picture gallery (the King's Gallery). The tall
central block on the East Front dates from 1718-21 and highlights the
King's Drawing Room within. Statues of William III and Queen Victoria
can be seen standing outside the south and east fronts of the palace.
The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection
The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace is a unique
presentation of royal, court and ceremonial dress dating from the 18th
century to the present day. The display includes a dressmaker's
workroom, a tailor's shop, dressing rooms, a court occasion and a
stunning collection of dresses belonging to Her Majesty The Queen.
The Orangery
The Orangery (known as the 'Greenhouse' in the late 18th and early 19th
centuries), was built for Queen Anne in 1704-5 and was used during the
winter months for housing plants, and in the summer for court
entertainments. In 1718, for example, The Post Boy reported: 'Yesterday
being the Anniversary of HM's Birth Day, the Court at Kensington was
more numerous than hath been known for many Years: at night there was a
Ball in the Green House.'
The Sunken Garden
The Sunken Garden was laid out during the reign of Edward VII and
opened in May 1909 on ground formerly occupied by forcing-houses and
potting sheds. It was intended to demonstrate the formal type of garden that
had existed at Kensington before it was landscaped in the 18th century, and
was modelled on the 'Tudor Garden' at Hampton Court. The three lead
fountains were formerly cisterns in the park.
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