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Kensington Palace - Kensington Palace began its life as a modest villa, located a couple of miles from the center of London.

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King William III's asthma -

In the late 1600s, King William III was looking for a new home. His previous abode, Whitehall Palace, was damp and caused his asthma to act up.

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Building Kensington - He found a spot he liked and hired royal architect Sir Christopher Wren to expand it into the grand estate we now know as Kensington Palace.

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Home of the royals -

Since that time, it has been home to royals of every station. Often, many branches of the royal family have lived there at the same time. There’s no problem with space, as the palace reportedly has 775 rooms!

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The Prince and Princess of Wales - The palace is divided into large sections called apartments. Prince William and his growing family moved to Windsor in 2022, but apartment 1A (which has 21 rooms) is still their London residence.

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The Obama visit -

When the Obama’s visited the UK, they had dinner with them at their Kensington Palace apartment.

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Prince George in pajamas -

It was on this occasion that President Obama was greeted by a three-year-old Prince George wearing a robe!

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle -

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, reportedly one of Princess Diana’s favorite spots.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle -

They lived at Kensington initially, but decided to move to a more remote royal cottage when the media attention became too much for them.

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Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank -

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank currently live in house on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

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Princess Margaret - The previous tenants of apartment 1A were Princess Margaret and her then-husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones. The Queen’s sister had a reputation for loving parties!

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Princess Margaret - The previous tenants of Kensington Palace had mostly been elderly royal relatives, but Princess Margaret turned it into a swinging social hub. If the party wasn’t happening at her apartment in Kensington, then the after-party certainly was!

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Princess Diana -

Prince Charles and Princess Diana lived in apartment 8 of Kensington Palace, and raised William and Harry there.

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Diana's private life -

Diana’s former butler released a book revealing the private life of Princess Diana and her family. He claimed that Diana used to have him sneak her lovers into Kensington Palace for her by hiding them in the boot of his car.

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Close surveillance -

The gates of Kensington Palace are always well guarded by paparazzi, so getting anyone in or out of the palace secretly would require some planning.

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The mourning ground -

The gates would later become a point of mourning for Diana after her death. When she was tragically killed in a car crash, the grounds were flooded with an estimated 60 million flowers brought by mourners.

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The tragedy -

There is quite a bit of dark history associated with Kensington Palace. In his tell-all memoir, her butler also shared that Princess Diana buried the body of her friend’s stillborn baby in the garden.

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The tragedy -

Diana’s best friend was devastated after giving birth to a stillborn child. The two agreed to have a secret burial ceremony for the baby in a beautiful corner of the garden. Diana gave her friend the key to the garden so she could visit the hidden grave.

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Hauntings at Kensington - It’s rumored that Kensington Palace is a hotbed of paranormal activity. The nursery in Prince William and Kate’s apartment is said to be one of the most haunted spots.

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The female spectre -

During the time Princess Margaret lived in apartment 1A, her housekeeper claimed she saw a woman in Regency era clothing appear in front of her and then disappear into the wall.

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King George II's ghost -

It’s also alleged that the ghost of King George II haunts the King’s Gallery, where he is said to have uttered his last words: “Why won’t they come?”

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Queen Victoria -

Another of the Palace's most famous residents was Queen Victoria.

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The dining room delivery -

Queen Victoria was born in the dining room at Kensington Palace! This strange location was chosen as it’s closer to the kitchen in case they needed hot water.

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Confinement at Kensington -

Victoria spent her childhood effectively confined at Kensington Palace. This was due to the scheming of Sir John Conroy, a close advisor to the royals, who wanted to keep her away from court for political reasons.

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J.M. Barrie -

J.M. Barrie, the author of the ‘Peter Pan’ stories, wrote a book called ‘Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.’ He commissioned a sculptor to create a bronze statue of Peter Pan and install it in the gardens of Kensington Palace without permission!

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Peter Pan -

Makes you wonder how lax the security was back in 1912, as the statue remains there to this day.

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Billy Porter -

Kensington Palace has continued to influence art in modern times. At the 2020 Oscars, Billy Porter wore an incredible gown inspired by Kensington Palace.

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Billy Porter -

His designer had previously visited Kensington and was inspired by the beautiful architecture and the intrigue of the place.

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A palace for the public -

Parts of Kensington Palace are open to the public for visits. Members of the public can buy tickets to visit the State Apartments and see where Queen Victoria grew up.

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Nicky Hilton -

Other parts of the palace are open, for a price! Hotel heiress Nicky Hilton married banking heir James Rothschild in Kensington Palace’s Orangery, a beautiful event space sometimes rented for an astronomical cost.

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What next? -

The British royal family is so vast and seems to be connected to every other royal family in Europe. It turns out there's a good reason for that! 

Sources: (HRP) (Mental Floss) (cafe mom)

See also: The royal weddings that changed European history

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