The Park, the Palace and the Pictures.

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a walk in Hyde Park and, having reached Kensington Palace, we realised we could go in……….

…….. as part of the £2 million refurbishment in 2012 they have removed the high fences and opened up a large part of the outside area to the public.  Inside the palace you can visit the rooms where Queen Victoria was born and where she lived with Prince Albert and the much older parts associated with George I and II and Queen Anne.

The dress worn by Victoria on her first Privy Council meeting when she became Queen at the age of eighteen.

The staircase where Victoria first set eyes on Prince Albert.

The Grand Staircase up to the Kings’ Apartment.

The King’s Apartment is superb.

Not as it seems – due to the on-going renovations, the scaffolding in front of the Kensington Palace is hidden by this huge mural.  They’ve left the main gates (where all the flowers were laid for Diana Princess of Wales) but removed the rest of the high fencing.

The entrance to Kensington Palace which is used by all the Royals – including William and Kate later this year when they move in.

We walked up Palace Road and came across Tamara Ecclestone’s £50 million home!

The number plate on the Ferrari must be worth a bob or two!  8J

We found a nice pub (can’t remember the name but it’s in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea!) where we had a very nice lunch in their ‘secret garden’.  It wasn’t that secret as were soon joined by the world and his brother!

Today, we went to Leicester Square and got tickets for “The Ladykillers” at the Vaudeville Theatre for tonight and then made our way to the National Gallery.  A wonderful couple of hours was had inside but you can’t take it all in at once so there’ll be another visit at some time. 

Outside the National Gallery Nelson had seen off the London Pride celebrations and was now keeping an eye (!) on the Canada Day event today.

The famous church of St Martin in the Fields next to the National Gallery. 

We chose to have a  late lunch in ‘La Tasca’,  just off the Strand, and then made our way back to ‘Chance’ for a rest before the theatre this evening.