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Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The palace where Victoria woke up queen

William III bought it for the clean air, Queen Anne built its Orangery, and an eighteen-year-old princess was woken here at dawn to be told she was queen. Three centuries of Kensington Palace, told in stories.

Start with William and Mary

Opening times

Summer: daily, 10am to 6pm (last entry 5pm). Hours change by season.

Getting there

High Street Kensington or Queensway Tube, then about a 10-minute walk.

How long to allow

About two hours, more with Kensington Gardens.

Tickets

Adults £20.60, children (under 16) £10.30. Prices vary by date.

Plan your visit

Monarchs who lived here King William III and Queen Mary II They bought Nottingham House in 1689 for the clean air, had Christopher Wren rebuild it, and both died here.
Portrait of George II by Thomas Hudson Monarchs who lived here King George II Monarchs who lived here Queen Victoria

Monarchs who lived here

Read the series
  1. King William III and Queen Mary II Reigned 1689–1702
  2. Queen Anne Reigned 1702–1714
  3. King George I Reigned 1714–1727
  4. King George II Reigned 1727–1760
  5. Queen Victoria Born here 1819, queen from 1837

Tours you can book today

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Tour the palace with us

Small-group tours of Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens with a Blue Badge guide, starting in 2027. Register your interest and we’ll email you first when dates open.

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About our tours

Go and see it

Palace ticketsThe King’s and Queen’s State Apartments and the rooms where Victoria grew up. Adults £20.60, children (under 16) £10.30. Prices vary by date.Check prices Getting thereTube, bus or a walk across Hyde Park: the simplest routes.Read the guide Stay in KensingtonHotels in Kensington, Bayswater and Notting Hill.Compare hotels

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