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While half of this spacious palace is used as lavish royal apartments, the
other half, which includes the 18th century state rooms, is open to the
public. William III and his wife Mary purchased the mansion in 1689
after their ascension to the throne. They commissioned Christopher
Wren to convert the mansion (originally built in 1605) into a royal
palace. He created separate suites of rooms for the king and queen,
and today, visitors use the queen's entrance.
Highlights include the finely decorated state rooms. On the ground
floor, an exhibition of court dress from 1760 to the present includes
those worn by Queen Elizabeth II. There is also a permanent display
of Princess Diana's dresses.
Some
interesting royal events have taken place here: Queen Anne died from
apoplexy and Princess Victoria learned that her uncle William IV had died
beginning her 64-year reign as queen. After the death of Diana,
Princess of Wales in 1997, the gates became a focal point for mourners in
their thousands, who turned the surrounding area into a field of bouquets. |
