In 1631 a prosperous City of London merchant called Samuel Fortrey built himself a fashionable new brick mansion on the south bank of the River Thames at Kew. The house became part of the royal complex in 1729 and this modest palace, tucked away in the corner of Kew Gardens, became home to King George III, Queen Charlotte and their children from 1801 to 1818.

It is this aspect of Kew's story which was the focus for the ten-year, £6.6 million repair, conservation and interpretation project that brought the

palace back to life. Kew Palace was re-opened to the public by HRH The Prince of Wales in April 2006.

The ten year process allowed the curators time to research the period of the King's residence in detail. They uncovered original documents which informed the project and added depth and colour to interpretation throughout the Palace.

Personal and poignant possessions of the royal family are displayed through a mix of sensory presentation media and more traditional methods. Many of the rooms are re-created in vivid Georgian splendour, based on original paint schemes, wallpaper fragments and carpet accounts to look as they did in the 19th century.

The upper floors remain un-restored revealing exposed walls and fragments of 18th century wallpaper and the wafer-thin 19th century glass, unseen by the public for 200 years.

An innovative 'radio play' accompanies visitors, and the Welcome Centre, adjacent to the Palace, locates the period within a historical timeline of world-wide events, including the French Revolution and American wars of independence. A lift has been built on the side of the building, on the site of an old, demolished water closet shaft, which allows visitors to reach every floor, no matter what their abilities.

Funding for the project has come from various sources: £1.6 million from Heritage Lottery Fund, over £1.75m from private benefactors and foundations and the remainder from Historic Royal Palaces, through a mixture of fundraising activity, ticket sales, retail income and functions and events income.

Some of your comments:

A fantastic, sympathetic restoration which is not only interesting and informative but has achieved accessibility – access to allow all members of our community the opportunity to admire and enjoy a fascinating glance into our history.
Tina Attwood, Northampton – 12 February

I visited the delightful Kew Palace and found it a real 'treasure'! The restoration is superb and has been done with infinite care.  The vibrancy of colours in the fabrics and furnishings and the attention to detail in re-creating the wallpapers and decoration is unsurpassed in any royal Palace I have seen.  And the artwork is stunning.  There are wonderful stories connected to various rooms in the Palace - such as the hastily arranged double marriage of two princes in the Queen's Drawing Room.  And the actual room in which Queen Charlotte (Queen Victoria's grandmother) died.  But what makes this Palace unique is its intimacy; you can really imagine King George III and Queen Charlotte being here!  It is wonderful that George IV did not demolish it.  And it is even more wonderful that it has now been lovingly restored so that we, the public, may have the opportunity to see it.  I do hope it is successful in being awarded the Gulbenkian Prize 2007.  
S.J. Fraser, Richmond upon Thames – 12 February

I would like to vote for Kew Palace for the Gulbenkian Prize 2007.  I went as part of our Away Day back in October and was very impressed with the restoration work carried out.  The attention to detail from the carpets to the wallpaper was incredible and I am recommending all my family and friends to visit it.
Alex Henessy, Southfields, nr. Wimbledon – 14 February

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