Summer evening tours
Sundays from 18 May - 28 September 2008
These exclusive tours offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Kew Palace after hours. Explore the story of this royal palace, the setting for many personal family dramas and King George III’s sanctuary during his bouts of illness. A palace expert will also take visitors into Kew Palace’s fascinating attics, where the Royal family’s servants lived amongst labyrinths of rafters. Never previously accessible to the general public, visitors will be able to see recently discovered, early seventeenth century paint decorations and witch marks.

Tickets cost £25 per person and include wine and nibbles.  Tours start at 5pm and last approximately 90 minutes.  Summer evening tours take place twice monthly on Sundays only.  For details and bookings call 0844 482 7799 Kew Palace on 020 3166 6140.

Summer daily openings
Friday 21 March – Sunday 28 September 2008
Easter weekend sees the doors to Kew Palace, the little palace at the heart of an empire, reopening for its third consecutive season.  This beloved home of King George III, Queen Charlotte and their princesses is a must-see on anyone’s ‘to-do’ list this summer.

Each room of this small palace has been faithfully restored to the way its royal inhabitants once would have known it.  Ornately decorated and furnished rooms and unique, personal objects including jigsaw puzzles and a dolls house that belonged to George III’s children, a waistcoat worn by the King and the chair in which Queen Charlotte died can all be seen, during an immersive journey into the fascinating story of Kew Palace.

Short listed for the highly prestigious Gulbenkian Prize in 2007, Kew Palace is a moving window into George III’s domestic family life in the late 18th century.  Don’t miss the opportunity to walk through the hallowed corridors of a palace that became a retreat for the ailing King during his ‘madness’ and a virtual prison for his elder unmarried daughters.

Queen Charlotte’s Cottage
This rustic cottage in the grounds of the palace was created for King George’s wife, Charlotte, and was the site of many happy times for the family.  Once upon a time its wall rang with laughter as the royal family enjoyed informal picnics and afternoon teas away from the hustle and bustle of public life.   Step inside this hidden gem and discover this quaint 18th century retreat.  Queen Charlotte’s cottage is open the Easter long weekend, the May bank holiday weekends and every weekend from 31 May (*see notes to editors for details).