Visiting Kensington Palace

Patty standing in front of the historical section of Kensington Palace.

Hey everyone! Patty Smith Hall here, and I've just returned from a trip of a lifetime! My darling husband decided to surprise me with a 30th anniversary trip to the one place on earth he knew I wanted to visit--London! So over the next few months, I'm going to share pictures and history from one of the most historical places on earth.









Today, we're visiting Kensington Palace.  If you're a royal watcher, you know that this is the place where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with their new son, Prince George will soon be living. Built in 1605, it was first known as The Nottingham House and did not become a palace until  William and Mary assumed the throne in 1689.

The Presence Chamber in the King's Apartments

As a Georgia native, I found the room pictured above to be interesting as was in this very room that King George II and Queen Caroline met the king and queen of the Cherokee Indians in the summer of 1734. The Cherokees were asked to wear more clothing than they did at home, in particular, something around their waist before they were presented to the King. But once introductions were made, the adults spoke while the royal children played nearby

Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset

This is a portrait of Elizabeth Seymour, the Duchess of Somerset. She was Queen Anne's confidante and she, along with her husband, were great favorites of the Queen which brought many enemies ready to take her down. But her ability to understand life at court and her intelligence kept her in the Queen's favor  up until Anne died in August, 1714.

Queen Victoria's day gown

Probably one of the most famous residents of Kensington Palace is Queen Victoria. Born in May, 1819, Victoria spent her childhood roaming the halls of the palace. In her own words, "I was brought up very simply, never had a room to myself until I was nearly grown, always slept with my mother until I came to the throne.

The room where the Queen's gown is shown is also the room where, on June 20 1837, Victoria held her first meeting with cabinet members and close advisors, just a few hours after ascending to the throne.

Queen Victoria's Wedding Dress

One of the happiest periods of Queen Victoria's life was her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Together, Victoria and Albert worked to make life better for the destitute and forgotten of Great Britain, draw attention to the arts and were the forbears of the industrial age. They also brought a renewed sense of morality that had been absent during her uncles's eras on the throne.

Prince Albert's Wedding clothes

But Victoria's happiness was short-lived. After twenty years of marriage and nine children, Prince Albert died in December 1861 at the age of 42. Victoria mourned him the rest of her life, so much so that on the occasion of each of her children's marriages, she wore black and demanded that all photographs be taken around a marble bust of the prince. Victoria mourned Albert until her own death in 1901.

Various events in Princess Diana's life

Another famous resident was Princess Diana. Here at Kensington Palace is where she raised her boys, William and Harry, and where, after her tragic death in September, 1997, a makeshift memorial of flowers were laid at the golden gates on the southern side of the palace. This was the wall outside of the restrooms.











Well, that's all for now. I hope you've enjoyed this short tour of Kensington Palace. Next time, we'll visit the Tower of London where the last execution was held not some 500 hundred years ago but in the late 1930s! Until then, I'll share one more picture, this one just outside of the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace. I wished I had pictures to share from there but snapping them would have gotten me thrown into the dungeon!