The Sunken Garden was laid out during the reign of Edward VII and opened in May 1909 on ground formerly occupied by forcing-houses and potting sheds.  It was intended to demonstrate the formal type of garden that had existed at kensington before it was landscaped in the 18th Century, and was modelled on the “Tudor Garden’ at Hampton Court.  The three lead fountains were formerly cisterns at the palace.

Queen Mary’s Gallery was originally furnished with fine lacquered chairs, tables and cabinets and 154 pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain. The key surviving features of the room are the two ornamental mirrors of Vauxhall plate glass, supplied by Gerrit Jensen, with magnificent carve and gilt surrounds by Grinling Gibbons.

The book then goes on to describe other key features that are not pictured here.

We have just about finished the tour of the Palace, all that remains to be seen is the grounds.

The King’s Gallery has been refurbished following the decorative scheme devised for George I. In 1725, the King commissioned William Kent to design and decorate a new gallery which had to incorporate the carved cornice and other decorative features designed for William III. The wind-dial above the chimneypiece, for example, was made for William by Robert Morden in 1694 but Kent was asked to design a new marble chimneypiece and carved overmantle around it. The points of the compass are marked round the circumference of a map of north-western Europe and the direction of the prevailing wind is indicated by the pointer operated by rods connected to a wind-vane on the roof. In the corners are painted scenes, probably by Robert Robinson, illustrating the four continents (Austalia was not discovered until the later 18th century). Above the wind-dial, set in a circular frame is a small fresco of the Madonna and Child, which was traditionally ascribed to Raphael and is not thought to be the work of the 16th-century Italian artist Annibale Carracci.

In the first picture you can just see a small portion of the very lavishly painted ceiling. The paintings are on canvas and depict scenes from the story of Ulysses.  The mythological scenes were painted by Kent himself whilst the surround work is that of his Spanish assistant Francisco de Valentia

Info from the official guidebook.

The dominant architectural elements of the room are the giant Ionic pilasters and the massive grey marble doorways supported by Ionic columns. Kent made extensive use of trompe l’oeil and much of the architectural decoration is painted, including the fluting of the pilasters and the carving of the moldings to the bases.

The four, twelve-branch chandeliers, suspended from the mouths of the painted heads on the ceiling, are reproductions of the lost originals made by the firm of Gumley and Moore in 1727-4. They also supplied furniture for the room, including a set of fine marble-topped side tables supported on sphinxes; these have long since been removed.

The King’s Grand Staircase was originally built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1689 in a similar style to the Queen’s Staircase. It was made of oak, and had plain panelled walls. When a new Guard Chamber (no longer surviving) was built at the foot of the stairs in 1692-3 the staircase was remodelled in marble, in a grander style.

The walls above the staircase are painted with impressive murals. It was impossible for me to get a photograph because there were so many visitors stopping to enjoy the paintings which are in the manner of Italian 16th-century illusionist painting.

The perspective was designed to appear correct to a visitor as he mounted the staircase, which was the original approach to the King’s Apartments.

On the upper part of the north wall (facing the landing), and part of the east, Kent painted an arcaded gallery crowded with members of George I’s court.

The ceiling is designed to give the impression of a dome with balustraded openings, from which more onlookers gaze down upon the staircase. the group on the south side is made up of musicians, while that on the north includes Kent himself with his mistress, Elizabeth Butler, and two of his assistants.

My photograph doesn’t really do it justice.

The official guidebook to the palace opens with the following words:

Welcome to Kensington Palace, once a favoured home of some of Britain’s most famous kings and queens and the setting for many great events and dramas in royal history.

Originally a private country house, the building was acquired by William III and Mary II in 1689 and was adapted for royal residence by Sir Christopher Wren.  For the next 70 years the palace was at the centre of the life and government of the kingdom and played host to the courts of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I and George II.  In the 19th century Kensington was the birthplace and home of Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria).  Parts of the palace remain a private residence for members of the Royal Family;  the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial dress collection are open to the public

Over the years there have been many additions and alterations to the palace structure. During the 19th century the state apartments were neglected and fell into disrepair. By the end of the century the building had become dilapidated with the brickwork decaying and the woodwork infested with dry rot. Queen Victoria’s love for the palace that she had grown up in saved the day. In 1897, Parliament was persuaded to pay for the restoration of the State Apartments on condition that they should be opened to the public. After the State Apartments had been restored to their former glory they were opened to the public on Queen Victoria’s 80th birthday, 24th May 1899.*

The photo below shows the East Front of the palace with a large statue of Queen Victoria in the foreground. The statue:-

was sculpted by her fourth daughter Princess Louise and shows the Queen at the time of her accession. It was commissioned by the residents of Kensington to commemorate her Golden Jubilee in 1887 and erected in it’s present location in 1893, in a ceremony attended by the Queen herself.

*From the official guidebook.