Kensington Palace

William III and Mary II, with their architects Wren and Hawksmoor, made Kensington Palace into a stage for the birth of British parliamentary democracy. In the mid-18th century it became the heart of the Court of George II where anyone who wanted to make an impression had to be seen on Wednesday evenings.

By the 19th century it was the childhood home of Princess Victoria. She was born here and it was at Kensington Palace where, one morning, she discovered that she was now Queen. Victoria first laid eyes on Albert at this palace and it was during her reign that Britain became the dominant world power.

In the meantime, at home, political power decisively shifted from the monarch to the people. In the 20th century Kensington was the home of two of the most fashionable modern royals: Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. It also became the home, in 1982, to the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, a priceless national archive that is still cared for here, by our curators and conservators Kensington Palace is now enchanted!

A new unique experience combining fashion, performance, and dazzling spectacle reveals Kensington's magnificent State Apartments in a magical new light. The acclaimed UK theatre company WILDWORKS casted a spell over the palace, creating a mysterious and atmospheric world for visitors to explore. Against the backdrop of the King's and Queen's apartments, leading fashion designers Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and illustrator/set designer Echo Morgan have created spectacular installations, inspired by the stories of the princesses who once lived at Kensington - Mary, Anne, Caroline, Charlotte, Victoria, Margaret and Diana. These extraordinary contemporary designs are displayed alongside historic items from the Royal Collection and Kensington Palace's Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, together with two dresses worn by Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret.