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Kensington Palace, London
Author: Steve Cadman (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Kensington Palace is a royal residence in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in London. It is the residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Today, it is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and Duchess of Kent; and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
The original building was constructed in the early 17th century, in the village of Kensington by the Earl of Nottingham, as was called Nottingham House. King William III acquired it from the heir of the Earl, who happened to be the Secretary of State, because the King wanted a house near London but not in it - he was asthmatic and the smoky air of central London gets to him. Kensington was at that time a village outside of London and was more accessible than Hampton Court. A private road was laid out to connect Kensington Palace with Hyde Park. In those days, that road was the place where the Upper Crust of English society came to see and be seen. It is known today as Rotten Row - a corruption of its rightful name in French, Rue de Roi, or Road of the King.
Sunken Garden, Kensington Palace
Author: Efarestv (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Kensington Palace was the favored residence of British monarchs, although the official seat of the Court was at St James's, which was not the actual royal residence since the 17th century. The last monarch to use it was King George II. He had Charles Bridgeman redesign Kensington Gardens into what it is today. After his death in 1760, Kensington Palace was used by minor royalty. The daughter of the Duke of Kent was staying there with her widowed mother when she was informed that she would be ascending the throne, as Queen Victoria.
In 1981, two of the apartments in Kensington Palace were combined to create the London home for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Diana continued to stay there after her marriage, with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry. They go to nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill a short distance away.
There is a tour of Kensington Palace. It takes the public to Apartment 1A, formerly used by the Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon.
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