Editor’s note: Laura Porer from London got a sneak peek of the newly renovated Kensington Palace and was kind enough to write a piece for all of us Article about it,

The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace, so why do we need another palace in London? In fact, we have a selection of royal buildings across the country, and Kensington Palace has been home to many members of the royal family, including Diana, Princess of Wales. William and Kate will move into an apartment here in 2013, along with many other "little royals" to call it home.

The building was vacant for a long time and fell into disrepair. Historic Royal Palaces are now the guardians of Kensington Palace and other great royal palaces such as the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, they are a charity so do not receive *** funding but see one of their key roles as guardianship - Let these palaces have a future as long and precious as their past. To ensure Kensington Palace has such a bright future, they have just completed a ￡12 million refurbishment project, transforming the tired building into a popular attraction. The Past

In the days before easy transport, Kensington was considered a village with clean air and therefore attractive for a country home, but still close to London. William III and Queen Mary II were hunting in the village of Kensington and discovered Nottingham House in 1689. They purchased the house and appointed Sir Christopher Wren to make appropriate modifications to create a grand palace that would also serve as a home. As the King's Architect, Sir Christopher Wren was responsible for rebuilding much of London after the Great Fire of 1666, including St Paul's Cathedral, and many churches and monuments stand as reminders of the catastrophe.

Unfortunately Mary died young and never saw the work completed, but William completed the renovations. As monarch, he could have the building's entrance face his royal park (the previous owner had not allowed this) and claim Kensington Gardens as part of the palace grounds.

Many other royals have lived in the palace over the years, but one who has a great claim to its history is Queen Victoria, who was born in the palace in 1819 and spent her entire childhood here. Pass. This is also where she first met the greatest love of her life, Albert, and where she discovered she would become queen. She did not have the happiest childhood as her mother was quite controlling and they moved around the palace as her mother requested bigger rooms knowing that her daughter's grand status was coming. However, Victoria claimed she slept in the same room as her mother before she moved to Buckingham Palace to become queen in 1837. At the time, the palace was empty, but in 1889, on her 80th birthday, Victoria opened the palace to the public. Kensington Gardens now connects the vast area of ??Hyde Park and is free for everyone to visit and enjoy.

From 1911 to 1914, the Museum of London called Kensington Palace the home of the Forbidden City. From 1950 to 1976, it moved again to its current location.

The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, lived in Apartment 1a of the Palace Museum until her death in 2002. Charles and Diana moved in together in 1981, and Diana lived together until her death in 1997. The Palace Today

The transformation was worth the wait as the entrance has been moved back, reconnecting the palace to Kensington Gardens (just behind the statue of Queen Victoria), and the first floor makes you want to go in. Before you can Before buying your ticket, enter the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Canopy and explore the two gift shops and the new Palace Café, where a breathtaking luminous lace light sculpture in a dark center room heralds the start of your journey. /p>

The Historical Palace wants visitors to discover 300 years of history, not just the 20th century, so four routes are designed to explore the palace. Visitors can choose which direction to go first without having to visit all the rooms, because every room is accessible. To a central "hub"

1. The Queen's State Apartments

4. . Diana (temporary exhibition space in Apartment 1a) Victoria reveals

This new permanent exhibition takes up most of the first floor on the public side of the building, in the room where she would have lived ( But remember she moves around the palace). You reach the room by the stone steps and this is where she first meets Albert: she is at the top and he is at the bottom, so stop and think about the pair The moment the couple truly fell in love. While so many royal marriages were about family ties and class standards, Victoria and Albert were deeply in love and wrote many romantic letters to each other. This exhibition hopes to show Victoria another story. On the one hand, she is not just an old lady who always wears black after her husband's death. She loves music, painting and drawing, and is a beautiful young lady who is declared queen in the exhibition. When the first Privy Council was held the Red Tavern began.

There is an audio in the room that gives you a sense of the eerie atmosphere, and silhouettes are projected around the room to show how crowded it was that day.

Because Victoria and Albert were both prolific writers, the room where they fell in love is filled with quotes from the letters they wrote to each other: on the walls, mirrors, furniture, and even the carpet.

There isn't a room with a bed to show off her bedroom, nor a room with a catering service to show off a dining room, and as she moved around the palace, no one is entirely sure which room she used for each purpose, so the rooms have themes such as childhood and family life, duties and work, and mourning.

As kids now there is free admission to the palace and there are lots of ideas to keep them entertained like a traditional paper spinning machine and a great toy box in the kids room (can’t wait for those toy drums Get started! ) There are some puzzles in the red delivery box in the duty room.

I think these new rooms and this exhibition are an excellent insight into a fascinating woman and a very moving journey as you discover more about her so I recommend You take a break before going to the next place, otherwise you might get tired. The Queen's State Apartments

During renovations, while much of the palace was closed, an art and theater project was used to create the enchanting palace. This evokes strong feelings on both sides; a real "Marmite" dilemma, as you either love it or hate it. Sadly, I'm not a fan and the Queen's Apartments have a similar approach. The room is dark with contemporary art installations and costumed actors to help you interpret the meaning. While the artistic concepts are well thought out, if you don't talk to the actors or other disappointed palace staff, you don't know what they represent. The King's State Apartments

There aren't many rooms in the Queen's apartment, so before frustration sets in, go to the King's State Apartments and enter a lighter and larger area. You can reach the King's area via the Queen's chambers, but the King's Staircase should not be missed as the paintings by William Kent are truly stunning.

Costumed actors are still in the area, but you don't need them to enjoy the grandeur of these rooms, the King's Gallery is awe-inspiring. While the largest room of the State Apartments was dark with toy soldiers on the floor and covered in paintings during the glamorous palace days, now it is a stunning room filled with natural light and we can once again enjoy carefully selected artworks. The gallery was designed by William Kent to display "the best of the royal collection" and every painting in the palace is original. Diana

Apparently it is only right that the first temporary exhibition at the Palace should be dedicated to the "People's Princess". is a small, one-room display showcasing a range of her gowns, some of which are being shown in the UK for the first time. The exhibition will last until September 1, 2012. Conclusion

It took more than 1,000 people, 21 months and ￡12 million to make the palace what it is today. (The hand-painted text on the walls here and there would keep many experts working long hours!) The palace certainly has a future now and is worth returning to. I wonder if the overt family-friendly effort might alienate a more mature audience, but they're trying to create an attraction that will appeal to everyone, which is never an easy task. Of course, two gift shops are a good idea, as the family gift shop sells pocket money toys and dress-up clothing, while the main gift shop offers finer pottery and exclusive jewelry for a variety of customers. The new Palace Cafe will appeal to families, especially with the outdoor seating options and the Palace's close proximity to the Diana Memorial Playground. Those looking for a peaceful meal can still enjoy the splendor of the orangery. I think they did a great job and I will definitely come back again and again. If you're like me, you might want to consider an annual membership at the Historic Palace, as it includes admission to all of the properties as well as many other membership benefits.

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Time: Summer (April to October) 10:00-18:00. Winter (November to February) 10:00-17:00.

Tel: +44 (0)20 3166 6000.

Cost: Adults ￡14.50, children (under 16) free.

Nearest train station: High Street Kensington/Queensway

Is it worth the trip? :yes.

Check out a photo gallery of the new work below: