A Royal Romp Through Kensington Palace

Andrea/Cara here, And as you might have guessed from my last post, I’ve recently been in a palace state of mind. (A reseach trip to England will have that effect on you!) Today we’re journeying from the outskirts of Oxford into the heart of London to take a look a Kensington Palace, which figures prominently in the opening scene of my next Wrexford and Sloane mystery. In fact, the title is MURDER AT KENSINGTON PALACE! (tentative release date—September 24, 2019) So of course I had to do a thorough walk-through of the rooms and gardens!

Not nearly as grand as Blenheim Palace, which was built to impress, Kensington Palace began life as a more modest two-story manor house, built by Sir George Coppin in 1605. It was purchased by the Earl of Nottingham in 1619 and came to be known as Nottingham House. The second earl , who was serving as the royal secretary of s state, sold it to William and Mary in 1689. (For those of you a little fuzzy on your British history, Protestant Mary II and William III came as joint rulers to the throne after the Glorious Revolution that had deposed Mary’s Catholic father, King James II)

Mary engaged Sir Christopher Wren (who created St. Paul’s cathedral) to enlarge and remodel the residence. In order to save money, he decided to use much of the original structure, but added wings and exterior changes, which reflected his eye for grace and symmetry. For the next 70 years, British monarch chose to live at Kensington Palace rather than St. James’s Palace, which remained the official heart of the monarchy. (For Regency aficionados, Rotten Row, where many of our Heyer heroes and heroines ride every day, got its name from being part of the Rue de Roi—the king’s road which led from St. James’s Palace to Kensington Palace.

During the reign of George I and George II, the palace was a center of intellectual and artistic creativity, as the kings and their consorts played host to the leading writers, artists and musicians. It was also known as a hotbed of political intrigue as diplomats and courtiers jockeyed for power and influence. The interiors were remodeled at this time, with additions like architectural splendors like the famous Cupola Room and the ornate murals and painted ceilings that one sees today.

When George III came to the throne, Kensington Palace fell out of favor, and became a residence for lesser members of the royal family. One of George III’s younger sons, Prince Augustus Frederick, the Duke of Sussex, was given a set of room in 10805, known as Apartment 1. Augustus was very interested in science and the arts, and created a massive library of over 50,000 books (it filled ten rooms!) He also collected clocks and had a large number of pet birds, which were allowed to fly around loose. A member of the Royal Society, Britain’s leading scientific society, Augustus often hosted scientific soirees at Kensington Palace—a fact I use in my book!

The palace was also home to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, another son of George III. His daughter, Alexandrina Victoria—later Queen Victoria—was born there in 1819. When she acceded to the throne, she moved to Buckingham Palace—no doubt because of unpleasant memories of her childhood at Kensington Palace, under the strict rule of her manipulative mother and her mother’s favorite advisor, John Conroy.

Since then, Kensington Palace continued to play host to a procession of royal family members. (I particularly like the story of the Victorian Princess Louise, who had the windows bricked up in her apartment when she discovered her husband was climbing out to meet for late night trysts with his lover.) The early 1900s saw such an assortment of minor royals taking up residence that Edward VIII called it “the aunt heap.”

The palace was badly damaged in WWII during the Blitz, but after it’s repair served as home to Prince Philip before his marriage to Queen Elizabeth. In modern times, it was home to Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, who spent a fortune renovating a section now referred to as Apartment 1A. The current residents of 1A are Prince William and Kate (it’s their official London residence.) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also have digs there.

In doing research, I came across a website that listed some of the “secrets” of Kensington Palace, and here are a few of the interesting tidbits! The King’s Art Gallery—a fabulous space—was also used for exercising (I think fencing sport of choice) And the fireplace a special dial built in it that connects to the weathervane, so that the King could tell the wind direction—very important for a country that depended on its navy! Another insider bit of trivia is that Queen Victoria fist met Albert at the palace.

As you see, Kensington Place is rich in royal anecdotes. So, does royalty tickle your fancy? Are you drawn to places that have a connection to kings and queen and assorted princes and princesses? And do you enjoy following the British royal family? . . . Or could you care less?

Comments

[Sonya Heaney]

I couldn't care less about celebrity gossip, so I ignore most stuff about the current royals (though I have been known to go and see the Queeen on her trips to Canberra), but the palaces are a different matter! I am completely fascinated.

I used to live across the road from Kensington Palace (in Linden Gardens, which is just north of it, off Bayswater Road), and on sunny weekends I'd take a book to Kensington Gardens.

The last time I was near Kensington Palace all the roads between it and Buckingham Palace were closed and a great, big, gold carriage came past, full of silhouetted people. I still have NO idea what royals passed me!

[Sonya Heaney]

Whoops - *Queen*!

[Mary T]

What an interesting post. Thanks so much. I find posts like this very interesting.

As for celebrity royals, I'm not that interested, although they are had to ignore, even if you only read the headlines which is about all I'm up to. I just did a scan of the Yahoo page and I see that I can read about how much Prince Harry liked Megan Markels make-job. Or I can read about how Prince Harry has a hole in his shoe and that Megan Markels ex is devastated and ready to "ditch the dirt" on her. Reminds me of the movie mags I used to read as a pre-teen. Interesting when you are 12 - not so much when you are 74.(smile). Although I do admit to being charmed by princess Charlotte - what a cutie.

The one headline that I did find interesting was about princess Margaret - the original wild child. Maybe if I live another 50 years, I might find something interesting about Harry and Megan (smile).

[Lillian Marek]

I'm not wildly interested in the current royals (nothing more recent than the 19th century for me), but I am fascinated by the palaces and mansions. I can't help wondering what it must have been like to grow up and live in a place like that, surrounded by incredible wealth and luxury. Of course, if you grew up with it, it wouldn't seem incredible, but you could hardly fail to notice that this wasn't the way most people lived.

Would you think of servants and tenants and all your underlings as almost a different species? Not that you would necessarily be cruel or even irresponsible (though some were), but I think that almost inevitably you would have to think of them as different. How else could you spill something and just ring a bell to have someone come clean up the mess you made?

[Andrea Penrose]

Sonya, I'm with you on not caring about celebrity gossip, but I do enjoy the tradition and pageantry of royalty as a nice counterpoint to our rush-rush and sometimes too-casual modern life.

Seeing a gold carriage would have made me smile, no matter who was in it!

And how lucky for you to have lived so near the palace and the Kensington Gardens. It's so peaceful behind the palace, with that vast stretch of parkland in the middle of the city. A perfect place for taking a book!

[Andrea Penrose]

So glad you enjoyed the history, Mary.

I feel sorry for the young royals on how the tabloids make them seem so inane. I sort-of feel Prince William and Prince Harry have done a pretty admirable job of trying to be real people. And they seem to care about using their celebrity to support good causes. I can't imagine the pressures of being constantly in the fish bowl.

[Andrea Penrose]

Totally agree, Lillian. It's hard to imagine the utterly different worlds of royalty and their underlings.It's ingrained from birth that they simply are treated differently, and so I guess it must become second nature,

[Mary T]

Actually, I agree ... it is the tabloids that are the problem...not the royals themselves.

[Amy J]

Stopping to see the sunken garden next to the palace is one of my favorite things to do anytime I go on a trip to London.

[Karen W]

I left England when I was 4 1/2 and as we were flying out of Heathrow, we did a fast tour of London. One of our stops was Buckingham Palace. I remember because they told me it was where the Queen lived. It didn't matter how hard I peered through that gate, I couldn't see her. That was Easter 1967. We moved to Canada in time for The Centennial. The Queen and Prince Philip came to Victoria. I got to see them shortly after my 5th Birthday. Even at that age I understood irony. I said to my family that I'd been at her house and didn't see her but she came to my new home and I finally got to see her - from on top of my Dad's shoulders. So basically I had to come to Canada to see the Queen. Her Grandson and his new wife and their two children came to Victoria almost 50 years later. I didn't get to see them in person as we don't live in Victoria anymore but an extended family member got to give Willian and Kate official flowers at about the same age I'd been when I first saw William's grandmother.

[Mary M.]

I recommend the Lord Mayor's elaborate gold coach at the Museum of London (free admission). No Royals included, but well worth a visit.

[Mary M.]

What a delightful story, Karen W.!

[Annette N]

Thank you for all the wonderful information and pictures. I am not enamored of the present royal family. But, I will say that for some unknown reason, I am fascinated by past royals. So much of their history has been entertaining. And if one looks at history, one sees that princes keeping women on the side is not a new thing.

One cynical comment, if someone has that much money for years and years, they darn well should have homes that knock your socks off.

[Sue McCormick]

I'm always interested in the housing. Not so much about the scuttlebutt, then or now. So much gossip is an exaggeration of a normal action — when it's not being made up out of whole cloth!

I have more interesting things to do that to "worry" about what "important" people, past of present, may have done. It may only be important to me. But that's my point.

[Andrea Penrose]

Isn't it gorgeous, Amy! I loved seeing gardens.

[Andrea Penrose]

What a wonderful story, Karen! I love your sense of irony as a child. And how lovely that one of your family actually met the royals!

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, Annette—that's rather an understatement that royalty throughout history has provided us with great entertainment!

And yes, considering all the money they have,the houses should be impressive . . .even though the their poor subjects paid through the nose for their luxuries.

[Andrea Penrose]

Very good points, Sue. Famous people draw gossip, much of it exaggerated or simply made up. One has to take all of it with a grain of salt.

[Teresa Broderick]

Great post. I'm like Annette I'm not into the present royal family but love reading about them in the past. My mother loved everything about them. She was in England when the present queen came to the throne.
Andrea, what's more important is can you please write faster. I'm waiting impatiently for the next Sloane and Wrexford :-)

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Teresa! It's hard not to be captivated by the stories in history of the past royals. There are a host of colorful characters among them.

And that's so very sweet of you to ask about Wrexford and Sloane. I wish I could write faster! But just so you know, I turned in the manuscript of the third book last week, and it's tentatively scheduled for early next Fall. I'll keep you posted!

[Sonya Heaney]

Ugh - I typed a big thing about the Museum of London, and lost it!

Anyway: it is well worth a visit. Go there!