Kensington Palace - birthplace of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria's dolls' house

 When I was a very young girl, my grandma gave me what seemed to me then, an enormous and very important book," V.R.I. Her Life and Empire, by the Marquis of Lorne, K.T. Now His Grace, The Duke of Argyll". I proudly wrote my name just inside the front cover in purple biro - a fitting royal colour! This large volume with its somewhat faded red cover was fascinating, with  its photographs, paintings  and drawings of and also by the the young Princess Victoria, a talented artist. She was crowned Queen in 1837 at the age of just 18.   I was entranced by the pictures of her beloved pets, dogs and horses, and a parrot called Lori, as well as the portraits of glamorous  ladies in waiting and family members with elaborate hairstyles, and the costumes were delightful! My grandma made a jacket for my  doll, based on one worn by the queen in one of  the pictures! I would have loved a dolls' house just like the one in the picture, and  I saw this very thing for the first time last week on a visit to Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born. I was also  pleased to  discover many familiar portraits from my book, including some of the Queen's pets!
Unlike Buckingham Palace, which has recently had a lovely set of stamps issued showing it in its many forms over the years, this stamp below is the only one depicting Kensington Palace. It was issued in 1980 as part of a set of  London Landmarks, illustrated by  architect Sir Hugh Casson.

The Palace  is a treasure trove of Royal history. In 1689 Nottingham House, the first building on this site was transformed into Kensington Palace for William III and Mary II. In 1722 a new set of state rooms were decorated for George I by William Kent and he was also commissioned to decorate the King's Staircase shown below.  A recent exhibition called The Glorious Georges had finished before our visit but there are some exhibits of costumes still remaining, such as this fine example of a Mantua worn by ladies of the court.

Costumes from the Glorious Georges exhibition 

The King's Staircase

A story  which certainly captured my imagination was that of Peter the Wild boy,
 found abandoned and wandering in a forest in Hanover by the royal hunting party. They took him back to England almost as a sort of "pet" to live and eventually be brought up at the court. He often escaped so a leather collar was made for him asking for him to be returned. This is also exhibited at Kensington Palace.  His story is told in Lucy Worsley's fascinating book, Courtiers. He wears a green coat in the painting by William Kent on the King's Staircase,  in the cente, left panel.

The palace contains many fine portraits of the royal families who have lived there, including of course Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, and their nine children. Princess Diana also lived here, and some of the famous dresses she wore to state occasions are on show, along with those of the Queen and Princess Margaret. Kensington Palace is now the London residence of  the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their son Prince George.


 
.