Bits and Bobs: A Visit to Kensington Palace

Thursday, January 2, 2002; I have been confined indoors for days, sick with a cold; however, today I wanted to go out, get some fresh air, and not venture far. Eddie and I decided to head over to Kensington Gardens and visit the house where Kate Middleton and Prince William now live. It seems scarcely credible to me that Kate and William live no more than a 15 minute walk from our flat. I didn't know what to expect when I entered the royal palace. I only knew it was the home of Kate and William, and formerly the home of Harry and Meghan and before that the home of Princess Diana. Curiously, Kate and William now live in what used to be the servants' quarters. Upon entering the property, we were informed that the oldest part of the palace, the Queen's State Apartments, dating to the late 1600s in the reign of Queen Mary II and King William III, was closed for renovations. We then began our self-guided tour in the King's State Apartments, which told us of the lives of King George II and Queen Caroline in the 1700s, and about Georgian life in general. Everywhere one looked were displays of elaborately painted trompe l'oiel, done in the early 1700s by British painter and designer William Kent.

I thought after seeing the King's State Apartments our tour was over; however, we then found ourselves in what, for me, was the most interesting part of the palace, which told the captivating history of Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria was born and raised in Kensington Palace. We saw the room in which she was born. We saw the staircase where, at 16 years of age, she met her husband-to-be Albert for the first time. We walked through room after room of displays and photos, depicting her reign and personal story. There were displays of her childhood toys, her dazzling jewels and the black mourning dresses that she wore for the rest of her life after Albert's death. Victoria lost both Albert and her mother in the same year, 1861. Victoria and Albert had nine children and forty-two grandchildren, many of whom intermarried with royal families of Europe. Queen Victoria was the longest reigning British monarch until recently when her record was broken by Queen Elizabeth II. Much of Kensington Palace is open to the public and I have to say it is definitely worth a visit.