9 April 2021. Following the death of His Royal Highness, there will be changes to opening hours for the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and Hillsborough Castle. For further information, please read our FAQs page
Discover the story of Princess Victoria, the young girl destined to be queen, in the rooms where she was born and raised at Kensington Palace.
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Victoria’s birth, this new permanent exhibition explores how an indulged young princess blossomed into the independent and iconic monarch we remember.
The new display includes remarkable objects relating to Victoria's early years – including a poignant scrapbook of mementos created by her German governess, Baroness Lehzen, which goes on public display for the first time, and Victoria's doll house.
Top image: Queen Victoria, when a Girl by Alexandre-Jean Dubois Drahonet, 1832. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019
As part of the work to recreate the rooms where Victoria grew up, Historic Royal Palaces curators have carried out extensive research into the decorative schemes she would have known as a little girl.
Curators worked with interiors specialists to recreate the Regency wallpaper on Victoria's doll house, combining this remarkable piece of history with archival samples to inform the decor throughout the exhibition.
In the birth room, the Duke of Kent's letters from the day of Victoria's birth — detailing everything from the layout of the rooms at the palace to the view from the window — provided an incredible resource for how this historic space might have looked during Victoria's childhood.
Learn more on our blog by Lucy WorsleyLearn more about a fascinating document, now on display as part of Victoria: A Royal Childhood, and Victoria’s first morning as Queen from experts Claudia Williams and Victoria Iglikowski.
This document is on loan from The National Archives.
Explore Queen Victoria’s private life behind her carefully-managed public image in this major new exhibition at Kensington Palace.
Closed 5 Jan 2020
Kensington Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)
Learn more about the royals who have made Kensington Palace their home during one of our intro talks, or take a tour with an expert guide.
Postponed
Kensington Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)
Explore this intimate corner of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, which is full of colour and intriguing details.
Open
Hillsborough Castle
Included in all admission tickets (members go free)
Browse our gifts inspired by Queen Victoria and her childhood home Kensington Palace.
from £3.99
These official gifts and souvenirs are all inspired by Kensington Palace's rich royal stories, past and present.
From £7.99
Originally the childhood home of Queen Victoria, later home to Princess Margaret and Princess Diana and now the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kensington Palace is one of the more fashionable and stylish of our palaces.
From £14.99
