Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Today we visited Kensington Palace and saw the Queen’s State
Apartments, the King’s State Apartments, and the history of Victoria and of the
fashions worn by the queens. Kensington
Palace, earlier known as Nottingham House, has its origins in a Jacobean
mansion built in 1605. Shortly after
William and Mary assumed the throne as joint monarchs in 1689, they began
searching for a residence better situated for the comfort of the asthmatic
William. Whitehall Palace, the
then-customary London residence of monarchs, was too near the River Thames for
William's comfort.
In the summer of 1689, William and Mary bought Kensington
Palace then instructed Sir Christopher Wren, Surveyor of the King's Works, to
begin an immediate expansion of the house. Keeping the shell of the structure
intact, Wren proceeded to add a three-story pavilion at each of the four
corners, providing more accommodation for the King and Queen and their
attendants, as well as a new entrance on the west, the Great Court, a narrow
block of rooms to the south, with kitchens to the north and a clock tower
surmounting an archway to the west of the Great Court. It has been a residence of the British Royal
Family since the 17th century, and is the official London residence of the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge and their son Prince George of Cambridge, Prince Harry
of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of
Kent.
On 6 November 2011, it was announced that the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge would move in 2013 from their temporary residence in
Kensington Palace to the four-story, 20-room Apartment 1-A, formerly the residence
of Princess Margaret. Prince Harry will
move into the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's residence when the Duke and
Duchess move to Princess Margaret's former apartment.
In 1981, apartments 8 and 9 were combined to create the
London residence of the newly married Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and
Diana, and it remained the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales after
her divorce until her death. Her sons, Princes William and Harry, went to local
nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill, which is a short drive
away, and were raised in Kensington Palace, which was a "children's
paradise" according to Andrew Morton, with long passageways, a helicopter
pad, and many outdoor gardens, including one on the roof where the family spent
many hours.
It must have been a wonderful place for the boys to grow
up. I found the entire history of the
palace and the reign of Queen Victoria fascinating.
We walked through Kensington Gardens and along Long Water to
find the Peter Pan statue, honoring J. M .Barrie. Peter Pan stands atop a
bronze tree stump accompanied by fairies, mice, rabbits and squirrels. It was commissioned by his creator, JM Barrie,
in 1912, and erected under the cover of darkness on 1st of May of the same
year.
We masterfully used the Underground Tube system again today
and found our way to Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo line. We walked over to the Warwick Castle Pub and
had a lunch of… beer…just beer—I had a Hollow & Fentiman Ginger Beer and
Ray had an ale. Closer to 2:30, we
headed over to the canal in Little Venice to take the Jason’s Canal Boat Trip on the
narrowboat Jason. This was a great trip
with our guide, Sarah, explained how horses used to pull the boats along the
canal to carry cargo and the ropes cut grooves in the stonework onshore. Once the boats came to a tunnel, the horses
were unhitched and two men laid on the front of the boat and used their legs to
pull the boat through, legging it along the tunnel wall. We cruised all the way to Camden Lock—ooh and
how I would love to have time to shop in the Camden Open Market!
Then we got on the Chalk Farm Tube and made our way over to
Barbican station. Then it was just a
short walk to the Medieval garden and the amazing St. Bartholomew the Great. This Priory Church was amazing and was
founded in 1123—again, one of the oldest in London. It appeared in Four Weddings and a Funeral,
Shakespeare in Love, The End of the Affair, Amazing Grace, Elizabeth: The
Golden Age, and The Other Boleyn Girl.
The church escaped the Great Fie in 1666, but fell into disrepair and
being occupied by squatters in the 18th century. The Lady Chapel was previously used for
commercial purposes and it was there that Benjamin Franklin served a year as
journeyman printer. Part of the church
was also used as a blacksmith’s forge.
The entrance to the church now goes into the churchyard
through a tiny surviving fragment of the west front, which is now surmounted by
a half-timbered Tudor building.
Then we made our way to Liverpool Station and ate a delicious
meal (me Scottish Salmon) at Hamilton House, along with ANOTHER Ginger Beer—this
time my favorite, Crabbie’s. Oh my,
Susan had 2 beers in one day! It's amazing how little pain you feel from walking all over London ALL DAY LONG once you have a little Ginger Beer. A great
day full of fun and learning. But very
tiring. And I found Raspberry Jam Donuts
at the Sainsbury’s. Oh my.
One of the many train stations we visited today--or changed trains at or caught a train or.....
Kensington Palace with its golden gates where floral tributes to Princess Diana began then spread around the castle and into Kensington Gardens.
Just to the left of the larger section in this photo is Apartment 1A--a 21 room apartment where Kate & Will will raise little Prince George
Queen Elizabeth silk organza gown
Queen Elizabeth silk chiffon gown with beaded embroidery
King's Grand Staircase
Just a coincidence but reflections through the staircase created a pumpkin face on the stairway!
In the Drawing Room fireplace--a House of Cards
Queen Charlotte Cotton Muslin gown--felt like wearing a cloud
Two things near the toilets: Diana Wallpaper & signs for Ladies & Gentlemen Toilets
Metal screen with words from the letters between Victoria & Albert
Mourning dresses of Queen Victoria and the children & sad quote by her
Photo Album with their crest of intertwined initials V & A
Queen Victoria fountain
Peter Pan statue
Chartres Labyrinth in an Underground Tube station???
From our Canal Cruise:
another of the "walking trees" this one on Robert Browning's Island
Catholic Apostolic Church Maida Vale--seen from the canal--I do believe this is the church I came over to see years ago and couldn't get in (just found out that this ISN'T the church I tried to see before)
Feng Shang Princess, Floating Chinese Restaurant, in London's Regents Park, Cumberland Basin, first floating restaurant of it's kind in London
horse bridge
Zebra Crossing in Camden Town
St. Bartholomew the Great Priory Church
