Kensington Palace: The Official Illustrated History [Paperback]

Edward Impey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003 | Series: Official Illustrated History

With the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, Kensington Palace, her London home, became known throughout the world. But as an architectural gem, a repository of great works of art, a favoured home of kings and queens, the scene of many major events in English history, for many it remains to be discovered. In 1689 King William III and his wife, Mary, bought the modest early seventeenth-century house from the Earl of Nottingham. Under them and their successors the greatest architects and craftsmen in Britain - Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor and William Kent among them - transformed it into a royal palace complete with magnificent gardens. But for all its splendour and importance, the architecture and history of Kensington Palace reflect its use for the more private side of royal life: here the monarch retreated from government business at Westminster, and the court and royal family enjoyed their house, gardens and the cream of their collections in an atmosphere of relative informality. Beautifully illustrated with antiquarian material, paintings, historic plans, new photography and specially prepared reconstructions, The Official Illustrated History tells the fascinating story of Kensington Palace from its origins to the present day.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ground-breaking and elegant new study - MAJESTY MAGAZINE Edward Impey used to be curator of Historic Royal Palaces and so knows Kensington Palace well, as can be seen by this admirable book which packs a thorough social and architectural history into the economical framework of an extended guidebook - COUNTRY LIFE

About the Author

dward Impey, an executive director of English Heritage, was formerly Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and a Research Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. He has written widely on architectural and historical subjects, and has been involved in the history of Kensington Palace, and its presentation to the public, since 1995. He has also written widely on medieval domestic and military architecture in England and northern France, and has directed much historical and archaeological research on the Tower of London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Merrell Publishers (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858942055
• ISBN-13: 978-1858942056
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative as a history book not a guide or Royal tell all, November 15, 2003

By 

A. Burchfield (Conway, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kensington Palace: The Official Illustrated History (Paperback)

An extremely nice paperback history book about Kensington Palace. You get the history of the place from it's beginnings (there's been something built on the site for about a 1000 years) but mostly covering the period from the 17th century onwards through today.
There are a lot of photographs of various sections of the building complex, some more than 100 years old,both inside and out as well as maps and diagrams from past centuries.
The history of the place is very detailed with period illustrations and covers many of the occupants as well as the structure itself.
I really like the book and would recommend it to anyone who has been or is thinking of going to London. You will learn a lot about the Palace but be warned, this isn't a guide book. You will learn about a lot of what is there but you aren't told just what isn't open to the public (if you are it isn't very clear and I missed it)and there is no Prince(or Princess)lived here detail (Charles & Diana barely mentioned in comparison to some past inhabitants).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars better than going there., September 7, 2009

By 

St. Mym "saintmym" (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kensington Palace: The Official Illustrated History (Paperback)

Read this instead of going there - there's very little content, even for those wanting to worship at the Shrine of Diana, and what is there is not very well explained or presented - the paintings in particular are very badly lit, almost unviewable in fact. Hampton Court is (just) worth the 15 quid they charge to get in, Kensington at 12.50 is a complete rip off by comparison. Stick to the book.