Kensington Palace 1: Ending Sep 2022

[Skydragon]

This is probably in the wrong place but -

Britain's most senior Army officer is living in Princess Diana’s former apartment at Kensington Palace at the expense of the taxpayer.

Army chief is given keys to Diana's old London home - and taxpayers picks up the tab | Mail Online

I thought we had it on here that her old apartments were being used as offices for Charles charity work.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Maybe the part for Charles's charitable work use are their marital home, numbers 8 & 9, and this Army CoS is at number 7? I know number 7 is a lot smaller than the one Diana lived in before the last few years of her life. Sometime in 1995, or 1994, she moved into number 7.

This Army Cos living there ties in with what muriel said about the royal family not using it so much in future.

 

[Skydragon]

Maybe the part for Charles's charitable work use are their marital home, numbers 8 & 9, and this Army CoS is at number 7? I know number 7 is a lot smaller than the one Diana lived in before the last few years of her life. Sometime in 1995, or 1994, she moved into number 7.

Thanks CasiraghiTrio, that would explain it.

 

[sirhon11234]

Maybe the part for Charles's charitable work use are their marital home, numbers 8 & 9, and this Army CoS is at number 7? I know number 7 is a lot smaller than the one Diana lived in before the last few years of her life. Sometime in 1995, or 1994, she moved into number 7.

This Army Cos living there ties in with what muriel said about the royal family not using it so much in future.

The Princess moved from apartments 8 and 9? I thought it was part of the divorce settlement that she would retain the apartments. CasiraghiTrio do you have an article or other source that says she moved to 7?

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

The Princess moved from apartments 8 and 9? I thought it was part of the divorce settlement that she would retain the apartments. CasiraghiTrio do you have an article or other source that says she moved to 7?

More than one....

Source: The New York Times, 29 August 1996, byline: Sarah Lyall

In a letter signed by Eric Golding, administrator for the couple's settlement, some 40 of the Princess's favorite stores were instructed to begin sending their bills to Diana, not to Charles.
''With effect from 2 September 1996, any expenditure incurred by or on behalf of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, on or after that date should be invoiced directly to the Princess of Wales's Office, Apartment 7, Kensington Palace, London,'' said the letter, dated Aug. 21 (hence the use of Diana's old title).

Another Source: Diana: Her New Life, by Andrew Morton

Other sources testify that Diana vacated the marital home in the mid-90s for a smaller apt in KP though they don't mention any apartment numbers. This always made sense to me, as Diana didn't need so large a house as a single woman with a significantly cut staff.

Also, check the transcripts from the Inquest hearings. It was mentioned a few times that her apartment was no. 7

 

[muriel]

My sense is that Diana's offices may have been at 7 KP. I would be very surpised that Diana would have moved to a 2 bed flat at KP, despite the changed circumstances after the break up of her marriage. The boys woujld still hav spent time with her, and since KP was her only home, I would be surprised if she would agree to living in a 2 bed flat.

 

[Menarue]

Is Kensington Palace very big?

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Well, I don't want to do battle over it. For my part, not trying to convince anyone, I believe Diana lived at No.7. Even Tina Brown said Diana certainly moved to a smaller part of KP sometime in the years after the separation but before the divorce, though Brown does not give the apartment number. This is what I believe and it makes sense to me.

Anyway, sources can be misinformative, as in the case of Richard Kay saying the Gloucesters apartment has 11 bedrooms, and one of their former equerries told me that is a high exageration.

The BBC says Prince and Princess Michael's KP apt has seven bedrooms.
BBC NEWS | UK Politics | Kensington Palace: Who lives there
But The Independent says the Kents' apartment has five bedrooms, five reception rooms: Queen pays £1m to let Kents stay in palace - Home News, UK - The Independent

The Daily Mail agrees with the Independent on the # of bedrooms in No.10
Princess Pushy to finally pay the £10,000-a-month rent on Kensington Palace apartment | Mail Online

 

[muriel]

Is Kensington Palace very big?

Its certainly bigger than 10 Downing St

 

[Menarue]

It seems until we are invited there we won´t know and then they probably won´t show us the bedrooms......
5 bedrooms and 5 reception rooms well that is not exactly cramped so I gather Kensington Palace is quite big.....

 

[Skydragon]

It seems until we are invited there we won´t know and then they probably won´t show us the bedrooms......
5 bedrooms and 5 reception rooms well that is not exactly cramped so I gather Kensington Palace is quite big.....

I think one might say that, you can visit Princess Margarets' rooms (1a), which can give you an idea.
Kensington Palace - Kensington Palace London Visitor Guide

Kensington Palace, Off Kensington High Street, London, W8 4PX - www.stately-homes.com

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

It seems until we are invited there we won´t know and then they probably won´t show us the bedrooms......
5 bedrooms and 5 reception rooms well that is not exactly cramped so I gather Kensington Palace is quite big.....

Yeah, we don't need to know these details, touche. Five bedrooms is a very good size for Michael of Kent and his family. If he and his wife each had their own room, they'd have one extra for a guest, or if they only had the normal marital shared room, they'd have two spare rooms in addition to their kids' separate rooms.

I have heard that Princess Margaret's KP apt is the biggest one and that the second biggest was the marital home for the Prince Charles and Diana, and then after that, the Gloucesters, then the Kents, and Diana's post-marital apt was one of the smaller ones. I wonder which one of those apartments was used by Prince Philip's grandmother?

 

[georgiea]

Diana's post-marital apt was one of the smaller ones.

Did Diana, Princess of Wales have to move or did they just close off some of the rooms? Did this happen after the divorce or separation? You would think they would let her keep all the apt., the Princes lived there too.

 

[sirhon11234]

In Paul Burrell second book he stated that her apartments were 8 and 9.

ABC News: Read an Excerpt of 'The Way We Were'

 

[georgiea]

Thanks sirhon. I am glad she kept the whole apartment.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Well, everything I've read about it says that she did stay in 8-9 for the most of the separation years. In the last couple, or maybe three, years of her life, she lived in 7 though, at least according to what I've read. The Inquest proceedings record that her apt in that last year was 7. See the link I posted in a previous post. So maybe she only moved after or some time before the divorce. Who knows? Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm sure it wasn't much difference, besides being smaller, and #7 adjoins 8-9 anyway despite the separate entrance and driveway. My theory is that she moved into #7 around the start of 1996, maybe 6-8 months before the divorce was final.

 

[Bella]

Doesn't Pss Alexandra have apartments at KP? I remember reading an interview a very very long time ago w Marina Mowatt (before she was Mowatt I believe) and she said she would invite her friends to visit her there and they were pretty shady looking, into the punk-goth look with piercings and leather and spiked hair and the security station would always have to call up to the apartments to verify they were welcome.

 

[Blakie]

The two black doors you could see across the courtyard were in fact the back doors! Diana's front door overlooks an oval drive and to the left of her front door is her private walled garden. If I can work out how to do it, I will post pics showing this!

 

[MelinaB.]

In June 2010 Uma Thurman & A.Busson will tie the knot and they chose Kensington palace for their wedding.I wonder how did they manage to "book" Diana's residence,I mean has something like this happened before?

 

[Skydragon]

To be correct it was never just Diana's residence, Kensington Palace has been a royal residence for over 300 years. IT was the Principal London residence of the monarch for both George I and George II, it was the birthplace of the future Queen Victoria. Princess Margaret lived there, so Diana was just one of many.

This is from the official KP guide

May I hold an event, such as a wedding or conference, at Kensington Palace?
Yes. Whatever your event, this magnificent palace makes an impressive location for entertaining and functions. For more information or to contact our knowledgeable events team, click here.

FAQs for Kensington Palace

 

[MelinaB.]

To be correct it was never just Diana's residence, Kensington Palace has been a royal residence for over 300 years. IT was the Principal London residence of the monarch for both George I and George II, it was the birthplace of the future Queen Victoria. Princess Margaret lived there, so Diana was just one of many.

Dear Skydragon,I just wanted to avoid repeating "Kensington Palace" Thank you for the link,it would be interesting to know how much Mr.Busson is gonna pay.

 

[pacomartin]

Doesn't Pss Alexandra have apartments at KP? I remember reading an interview a very very long time ago w Marina Mowatt (before she was Mowatt I believe) and she said she would invite her friends to visit her there and they were pretty shady looking, into the punk-goth look with piercings and leather and spiked hair and the security station would always have to call up to the apartments to verify they were welcome.

Pss Alexandra has a very small grace and favor apartment house in St. James Palace. Her principal home in Richmond Park called Thatched_House_Lodge was purchased on a 150 year lease in 1963 when she got married. Her home in Richmond Park is surrounded by parkland, and is where General Eisenhower had his WW2 headquarters. There was some discussion of her selling her lease when she was widowed. Presumably she would retire to the smaller home in St. James Palace.

I have never seen a comprehensive list of royals who have lived in KP. I gather that Pss Marina moved there when Prince Michael was age 11 (1954), giving up her home in Belgravia Square. She lived there until her death when he was age 26 (1968). When he got married ten years later he was given a grace and favor apartment again. Supposedly the ministers toured the apartment in 2002 and demanded that he pay rent. The Queen absorbed his rent until this year.

To turn KP into a museum would be hugely expensive. It is on some of the most valuable real estate on the planet. I would think that leasing the apartments and offices out to "foreign embassies" and/or ambassador residences would be hugely profitable. There are already a number of embassies nearby on "Kensington Palace Gardens".

 

[lillas]

I can't beleive the Queen demanded that he pays rent! funny when you think about it really!
I think it would be a great idea for embassies to take those appartements as offices. The only problem with that is perhaps that each ambassy might have its own protocoles, traffic and staff... I don't think they can manadge being in the same building.

 

[Iluvbertie]

There was talk a few years ago about the US taking over the entire palace for their embassy but the Queen stopped that from happening.

Queen rejects US request to use Kensington Palace as embassy - Telegraph


This article does suggest that that option is still a possibility when all the current residents have moved out.

 

[lillas]

I am glad that the Queen refused the idea of having it occupied by the American Ambassy. I think that politically it is a bit misplaced to ask for such a historical monument to be occupied by another state.
Here is a video of the palace. Its architecture is simply extraordinary. A museum or occupation by members of the royal family is in my opinion the right solution for the Kensington palace.
YouTube - London Staedtereise - Tag 1 - 05 - Kensington Palace London

 

[Sereta]

I don't see why they can't do both. Open part of it all year for tourists. Since it had Diana's apts. and office they can set aside that section in her memory (and display her dresses, memorabilia, etc) as well as let people tour nearby sections.
Then they can rent out specific rooms for receptions (ballroom?), meetings, etc. to the public.
And then have another part of it still used by minor royalty and have it blocked off to the public.
I agree they shouldn't use it as a foreign embassy. It's much too big for that anyway.

 

[Skydragon]

There would be huge security complications in what you suggest, IMO. I also think it would be totally inappropriate to allow any foreign power to use it.

 

[Stefan]

There would be huge security complications in what you suggest, IMO. I also think it would be totally inappropriate to allow any foreign power to use it.

But isn't this was is already done today. Parts of the Palace are open to the public. And in other parts the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of kent have their home.

 

[Skydragon]

Oops, my mistake, I misread the post.

 

[pacomartin]

I disagree that the palace wouldn't be ideal for foreign embassies and consulates. In particular it would be a great place for smaller countries particularly for Commonwealth Realms. The Kensington Palace Gardens is already jam packed with about 20 ambassador homes, embassies and consulates, and the London residence of the Saudi royal family. It would be a valuable revenue generator for the British government. The Palace must be pretty big because it has a footprint of well over 2 acres. I think the government would like this to be the last generation of royals to live in the palace.

I imagine that William and Harry have a lot of privacy in their apartments at Clarence House, and it will suffice as long as they are single. Princess Alexandra has an apartment in St. James Palace, and Charles used to have a place there after he moved out. There are a lot of options for William and Harry.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal