One Fine Spring Day

View of Hyde Park from inside Kensington Palace.

On a sunny day with clear blue skies in London last Spring,  we ventured towards my favourite Hyde Park to visit the newly renovated Kensington Palace, the birthplace of Queen Victoria and former home to the late Princess Diana and Princess Margaret. The Palace is still home to some other members of the Royal Family with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge about to move in this coming July.  It was a one fine day to stroll around Hyde Park, visit the palace, its colourful gardens and also have lunch at the Orangery Restaurant  near the Palace gardens. Visiting London in the Spring was truly magical.

Kensington Palace was purchased in 1689 by King William III (the statue above). King William III and his Queen Mary preferred to live at Kensington Palace instead at their official residence at Whitehall Palace near the Thames River. The King and Queen asked renowned English Architect Christopher Wren, who also built St. Paul's Cathedral, to renovate and expand the Palace. On 24 May 1819, Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace. Inside, we saw the Queen's rooms including the room where she was born.

Across Canada is our long weekend celebrating Queen Victoria Day. It is celebrated on the third Monday of May before May 24th in honour of the Queen. It is also considered the Sovereign's Official Birthday in Canada.

Another famous former resident at Kensington Palace was Princess Diana. On the left was a photo by Mario Testino for Vanity Fair Magazine. In the Palace, there was a display of Princess Diana's gowns and this wallpaper depicting  Princess Diana's life from her Engagement, her wedding, being a young mother  and her modern Princess life.

The late Princess Margaret, photographed by her former husband Lord Snowdon, was a former resident at Kensington Palace. The new residents will be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, photo by Mario Testino, coincidentally will be occupying the late Princess Margaret's apartments in the Palace. Hopefully,  the Duke and Duchess will move in July together with their newborn baby.

The view from inside the Palace.

I'm fascinated by these lanterns topped with crowns.

The two photos above were not filtered photos.
These were original photos I photographed from inside the Palace.

The Kensington Palace Gardens in the Spring time.

A perfect harmony of different Spring flowers and colours.

That's me and my Aunt who lives in London. We had a delicious lunch inside the Orangery which was built by Queen Anne during the 18th Century in the Kensington Palace Gardens. It is a restaurant now offering delicious British food for lunch and their famous Afternoon Tea. We were lucky that there was no line up. After we were seated, there were many people that arrived which caused a long line up outside this beautiful building. After our visit there and a stroll in Hyde Park, my Aunt took me shopping at Regent Street to show me her favourite store, Ted Baker.

They say no Sovereign was more loved 
than I am. 
- Queen Victoria.


Canada will celebrate Queen Victoria Day with fireworks across the nation.

May you all have a lovely Spring Weekend!