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Sights of London about Kensington Palace

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Kensington Palace

Picture: Kensington Palace

The Palace

Kensington Palace took its current form from William III and Mary II converted an early 17th-century house into a royal palace. From the outset it was designed to be a modest and private retreat for the King and Queen and not an architectural showpiece. The South Front was built in 1695 to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren. Most of the top floor is taken up by a single room, the King's Gallery, which is almost 30 metres in length. The tall windows still retain their original glazing pattern. The didtinctive lion's head cornice, supporting the roof eaves, was probably carved by William Emmet and was the subject of a major program of restoration in 2003. Over 40 layers of paint had built up in 300 years. Now that the cornice has been conserved, the original crisp detail is visible again. The stone urns on the parapet were carved by Caius Gabriel Cibber. Each is hewn from a single large block of Portland Stone. continue about South Garden

Stay in Lonon:
Link to the image of Kensington Palace South Garden.
More information about Kensington Palace at www.royal.gov.uk The Royal Residences.