Kensington Palace

Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in 1819 and was living here in 1837 when she learned she had become queen. The palace became a royal home in 1689, when William III and Mary II bought what was then a Jacobean mansion and had Christopher Wren enlarge it. It remains a working royal residence, with its public rooms cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.

Visitors walk through the King's State Apartments, where William Kent's painted ceilings and the King's Staircase, crowded with painted figures of Georgian courtiers, are the highlights. The more intimate Queen's State Apartments reflect Mary II's time here, and other rooms trace Victoria's childhood and early life. Displays draw on the palace's collection of royal and court dress.

Outside, the Sunken Garden holds the statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, who lived at the palace. Princess Louise's statue of her mother, Queen Victoria, faces Kensington Gardens. The palace suits visitors interested in royal history, interiors and costume.