SIGHTS IN LONDON - London 2015 - page 139

After Queen Victoria moved the monarchy to Buckingham Palace, lesser royals bed-
ded down at Kensington. Princess Diana lived here both during and after her marriage to
Prince Charles (1981-1997). More recently, Will and Kate moved into a thoroughly ren-
ovated Apartment 1A (the southern flank of the palace complex, with four stories and 20
rooms). And Prince Harry lives in their old digs, a “cottage” on the other side of the main
building. However—as many disappointed visitors discover—none of these more recent
apartments are open to the public.
Cost and Hours: £ 16.50 (includes 10 percent optional donation), save £ 1 by booking
online, daily 10:00-18:00, until 17:00 Nov-Feb, last entry one hour before closing, least
crowded in mornings, £ 5 guidebook but friendly and knowledgeable “explainers” will
answer questions for free, cloakroom available for bags and luggage, a 10-minute stroll
through Kensington Gardens from either High Street Kensington or Queensway Tube sta-
tions, tel. [phone], www.hrp.org.uk .
Self-Guided Tour: Before entering the building, notice the statue of Queen Vict-
oria welcoming you to her birth palace. (The queen's daughter, the feminist bohemian
Princess Louise, carved it.) After buying your ticket, head into the vestibule. From here,
you can reach any of the three main exhibits. To see them chronologically, head to the
right, to start with the...