Walk from here through the beautifully kept and always flower-bedecked Kensington Gardens to Kensington Palace, created for Dutch William III by Sir Christopher Wren and his disciple, Nicholas Hawksmoor, between 1689 and 1702. Queen Victoria lived here with her controversial mother, the Duchess of Kent, until she ascended the Throne in 1837. This is still a working Royal residential palace, (Princess Margaret lived here and some members of the Royal Family have apartments here),but the State Rooms are open to the public. The ever-changing exhibition of Royal State robes is well worth seeing, as is the sunken water garden and the old Orangery, where you can pause for a snack.
Charles and Diana lived in the Palace in the early years of their marriage, and Diana had her post-divorce apartment here. Each year Diana is remembered at the South facing gates during the anniversary week between her death and funeral by a crowd of some hundreds who bring their floral tributes and children's mementos to garland the gates.
It is but a short walk from the Palace Gates to Diana's Memorial Playground built on an original playground donated by J.M.Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. You will find your way to it simply by walking in the direction of the joyful shouts of children at play there. George Frampton's richly patinated bronze of Barrie's fictional child who never grew up it nearby. It was placed there in 1912 and has been one of London's best loved and most visited monuments ever since.
I have now retired to the Isle of Wight. I invite you to share my weekly jottings at Rosemary Lane, my weekly chronicle of the changing seasons and unhurried village life at my country cottage on Wight, my island idyll.
Related Links
Tea at the Ritz
The classic English Afternoon Tea served to ladies and gentlemen in the Ritz Hotel's elegant Palm Court.
Apsley House
Excellent informative official website for The Duke of Wellington's London residence with photos.
The Lanesborough
Official site of the Lanesborough Hotel with interesting photos of Hyde Park Corner.
The Grenadier Pub
Excellent description and directions to this charming pub.
