Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The palace is home to the
Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection
, which means you usually
get to see a few of the frocks worn by Diana, as well as several of the Queen's dresses. The
highlights of the
King's State Apartment
s are the trompe-l'oeil ceiling paintings by Willi-
am Kent, particularly those in the Cupola Room, and the paintings in the King's Gallery by,
among others, Tintoretto. Also of interest in the King's Gallery is the wind dial above the
fireplace, connected to the palace weather vane, which was built for William III and is still
fully functioning.
In the more modest Queen's state apartments, the curators have stepped up the multimedia
theatrics to tell the sad story of
Queen Anne
, whose eighteen children all pre-deceased her.
On the ground floor, you can learn about
Queen Victoria
, who spent an unhappy childhood,
under the steely gaze of her strict German mother. According to her diary, her best friends
were the palace's numerous “black beetles”.
KENSINGTON PALACE
BROMPTON ORATORY
Brompton Rd South Kensington 020 7808 0900,
www.bromptonoratory.com
.Mon-Sat 6.30am-8pm,
Sun 7.30am-8pm.Free.
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