Kensington Palace

Lonely Planet review

Welded in people's memory as the residence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Kensington Palace's lawn was covered with a mountain of flowers following the death of the 'people's princess' in September 1997, an episode in history that showed the Brits loosening the stiff upper lip and mourning the princess with unprecedented sentimentality. A glimpse of Diana's frocks in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is always a highlight.

Of course, Kensington Palace already had a long history when Diana moved in after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996. Built in 1605, it became the favourite royal residence under William and Mary of Orange in 1689, and remained so until George III became king and relocated to Buckingham Palace. Even afterwards the royals stayed occasionally; Queen Victoria was born here in 1819.

Most beautiful of all the quarters is the Cupola Room, where the ceremony of initiating men into the exclusive Order of the Garter took place and where Victoria was baptised; you can see the order's crest painted on the trompe l'oeil 'domed' ceiling, which is actually flat.

The King's Long Gallery displays some of the royal art collection, including the only known painting of a classical subject by Van Dyck. On the ceiling William Kent painted the story of Odysseus but slipped up by giving the Cyclops two eyes.

The King's Drawing Room is dominated by a monumentally ugly painting of Cupid and Venus by Giorgio Vasari (1511-74), an Italian mannerist painter who used to brag about the speed at which he worked and was better known for his historical record of the Renaissance. There are splendid views of the park and gardens from here; you can also see the Round Pond, once full of turtles for turtle soup but now popular for sailing model boats.

The King's Staircase is decorated with striking murals by William Kent, who painted himself in a turban on the fake dome.

The Sunken Garden near the palace is at its prettiest in summer; the nearby Orangery, designed by Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor as a free-standing conservatory in 1704, is a bright, if rather formal, place for tea.

1A Kensington Palace, formerly Princess Margaret's apartment, can only be visited by guided tour, which should run on the hour between 10:30 and 12:30 and 14:00 and 16:00 . It features an exhibition of the people who lived in the palace from the 18th to the 20th century. The space is to be used for other exhibitions, so check what's on before you go (though it's likely to be something to do with Diana).