Kensington Palace has been a royal home for over 300 years — the birthplace of Queen Victoria, the last residence of Diana, Princess of Wales, and today the official London base of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Unlike Buckingham Palace, it has always been a private, domestic royal home rather than a grand ceremonial stage, which gives the State Apartments a more intimate feel even at their most opulent. Part of the palace remains a working royal residence behind private gates, while the King’s State Apartments, the gardens and a changing programme of exhibitions are open to the public.
History of Kensington Palace
Nottingham House: William III and Mary II
Kensington Palace began life as Nottingham House, a modest Jacobean mansion owned by the Earl of Nottingham. In 1689, the newly crowned King William III and Queen Mary II bought the house, drawn by its position on higher, drier ground west of the city — William suffered from asthma, and the cleaner air away from the Thames was thought to ease his condition. The King commissioned Sir Christopher Wren, fresh from rebuilding St Paul’s Cathedral, to extend and improve the house into a residence fit for the joint monarchy, adding pavilions at each corner in a restrained, red-brick style that still defines much of the palace’s exterior today.
Queen Anne and the Orangery
Queen Anne, who succeeded William and Mary in 1702, continued to develop the palace and its grounds. In 1704–1705 she commissioned a new Orangery — a grand baroque building for overwintering citrus trees, designed with input from Nicholas Hawksmoor and Sir John Vanbrugh. Anne was also responsible for laying out much of the palace’s formal gardens, and the Orangery she built still stands today, now serving visitors as the palace’s restaurant rather than a glasshouse for fruit trees.
The Georgian “Party Palace”
Under George I and George II, Kensington Palace became the fashionable centre of the British court — a genuine party palace, packed with the most ambitious and talented courtiers of the day, all jostling for royal favour. George I employed the artist William Kent to redecorate the King’s State Apartments with elaborate trompe-l’oeil ceilings and murals, including a painted staircase populated with portraits of real courtiers, servants and even Kent himself peering down at visitors. When George II died at the palace in 1760, it marked the end of this golden era: his grandson George III preferred Buckingham House, and Kensington’s status as the primary royal seat declined for nearly six decades.
Queen Victoria’s Birth and Childhood
Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819, and spent her entire childhood there under the strict, closely controlled upbringing later known as the “Kensington System,” designed by her mother and her comptroller Sir John Conroy to keep her isolated and dependent on them. On 20 June 1837, the 18-year-old Victoria was woken at Kensington Palace with the news that her uncle, William IV, had died — making her queen. She held her first Privy Council that same morning in the palace’s Red Saloon, before leaving Kensington for Buckingham Palace, which she would make the new primary royal residence.
Diana, Princess of Wales
In the 20th century, Kensington Palace became closely associated with Diana, Princess of Wales, who lived in apartments 8 and 9 from her 1981 marriage until her death in 1997, and continued to use the palace as her private residence even after her divorce from King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 1996. Princes William and Harry also spent part of their childhood at the palace. Following Diana’s death, the Sunken Garden — one of her favourite spots within the grounds — was later redeveloped, and a statue of Diana was unveiled there on 1 July 2021, on what would have been her 60th birthday.
Kensington Palace Today
Kensington Palace is owned by King Charles III on behalf of the nation, with the historic State Apartments cared for and opened to the public by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that also looks after the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. The rest of the palace remains a genuine working royal residence, split into private apartments behind gates the public never sees.
Who Lives in Kensington Palace?
According to the Royal Family’s official website, Kensington Palace today contains the offices and London residences of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, retain Apartment 1A — previously home to Princess Margaret — as their official London base and office, though the couple and their children have lived primarily at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor since 2022, to be closer to their children’s school. The other apartments are occupied by more distant working members of the Royal Family, none of which are open to visitors; the parts of the palace the public can access are entirely separate from these private residences.
Visiting Kensington Palace: Practical Information
Verified against the official Historic Royal Palaces website, checked 4 September 2026.
Opening Hours
Kensington Palace is currently open daily, 10:00–18:00, with last entry at 17:30. The Palace Gardens and Sunken Garden follow similar hours and are free to enter without a palace ticket. Note that the Queen’s State Apartments are closed until spring 2027 for major re-presentation work — the King’s State Apartments, Jewel Room and current exhibitions remain open throughout.
Ticket Prices
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (18–64) | £24.70 |
| Senior (65+) / Student / Disabled concession | £20.00 |
| Child (5–15) / Young Person (16–17) | £12.40 |
| Under 5 | Free |
| Disabled carer/companion | Free |
| HRP Members | Free |
Prices shown are for visits between 26 March and 8 November 2026 and include entry to the current temporary exhibition. £1 tickets are available to anyone receiving Universal Credit or several other named benefits, for up to four people per household. A 10% optional donation can be added at checkout to support Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity.
Address & Getting There
The palace’s postal address is Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4PX. It’s worth clearing up a common mix-up: there is no through-road actually called “Kensington Palace Road” — the private residential street beside the palace grounds is Kensington Palace Gardens, and it isn’t the way visitors approach the palace itself, which sits inside the public parkland of Kensington Gardens.
- Queensway (Central line) — about 728m / 10 minutes’ walk. Walk up Bayswater Road and enter Kensington Gardens via Black Lion Gate.
- High Street Kensington (Circle, District lines) — about 765m / 10 minutes’ walk, via Kensington High Street and Dial Walk or the Broad Walk.
- Notting Hill Gate (Central, District, Circle lines) — roughly 20–25 minutes’ walk, further but a useful alternative if changing lines there.
- There is no on-site parking; the nearest public car parks are around a 10-minute walk away, and driving isn’t recommended.
The Orangery Restaurant
Queen Anne’s early 18th-century Orangery, in the palace grounds within Kensington Gardens, now operates as the Orangery Restaurant — serving breakfast, lunch and a formal afternoon tea beneath its baroque plasterwork ceiling, with views over the gardens. It follows the same 10:00–18:00 hours as the palace and is open to anyone, not just ticket-holders to the State Apartments — you don’t need palace admission to eat there. Afternoon tea in particular is popular enough that advance booking is strongly recommended, especially at weekends.
How Long to Allow
Budget 2–3 hours for a full visit covering the State Apartments, current exhibitions and a walk through the Sunken Garden. Add extra time for the Orangery if you’re planning afternoon tea, which is worth treating as a separate stop in its own right rather than a quick add-on.
Accessibility
Concessionary tickets are available for disabled visitors, with a free carer/companion ticket. Accessible parking is available on-site but must be booked at least seven days in advance by emailing the palace directly with your registration and Blue Badge details. There’s a security scanner at the entrance to the palace, shop and café — visitors with health conditions that make this difficult should speak to staff on arrival.
Managing Body
Kensington Palace is owned by the King on behalf of the nation. The publicly accessible State Apartments, gardens, shop and café are run by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that receives no government funding and relies on ticket sales, membership and donations to fund conservation work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who lives in Kensington Palace?
The Prince and Princess of Wales retain an apartment and office there, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Who lives at Kensington Palace does not include the general public in any part — the private apartments are entirely separate from the visitor route.
Can you visit the Orangery at Kensington Palace without a palace ticket?
Yes. The Orangery Restaurant, in Kensington Gardens beside the palace, is open to anyone and doesn’t require State Apartments admission — you can visit for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea on its own.
Is Kensington Palace free to visit?
The gardens and Sunken Garden are free. Entry to the State Apartments is not — adult tickets are £24.70, though £1 tickets are available for visitors receiving Universal Credit and several other named benefits.
Is there a road called Kensington Palace Road?
Not exactly — people usually mean Kensington Palace Gardens, a private residential street beside the palace grounds, sometimes nicknamed “Billionaires’ Row.” It isn’t the route visitors use; the palace is accessed through the public parkland of Kensington Gardens instead.
Can you go inside Kensington Palace?
Yes, year-round, unlike Buckingham Palace’s summer-only opening. The King’s State Apartments, Jewel Room and current exhibitions are open daily 10:00–18:00. The Queen’s State Apartments are a temporary exception, closed until spring 2027 for re-presentation work.
Where was Queen Victoria born?
Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819, and spent her childhood there. The rooms connected to her early life are now presented as part of the “Victoria: A Royal Childhood” display included in standard palace admission.
Did Princess Diana live at Kensington Palace?
Yes. Diana, Princess of Wales lived in apartments 8 and 9 at Kensington Palace from her 1981 marriage until her death in 1997. The Sunken Garden in the grounds, one of her favourite spots, now holds a statue of her unveiled in 2021.
Kensington Palace pairs naturally with a wider royal-London day — see Buckingham Palace for the King’s working residence and the Changing the Guard, or browse the full Royal Palaces collection. For the country whose monarchy runs through both palaces, see our England guide.
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