Venue Review

Character: Steeped in the personal history of George III and Queen Charlotte but intimate and accessible.

Funky Features: Favourite residence of George III and Queen Charlotte. Original decorative and architectural features dating back to the 17th Century. Wax bust of George III hand-crafted by Madame Tussauds herself.

Location and History

The favourite royal retreat of George III and Queen Charlotte is located within the grounds of Kew Gardens, roughly seven miles from central London, easily accessible via tube (Kew Gardens) and mainline train (Kew Bridge). During the summer you can also reach Kew Gardens by riverboat from Westminster, Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames.

Kew Palace was built in 1631 for Samuel Fawtrey, a Flemish merchant and later acquired by George II in 1729 as lodging for his three eldest daughters. His son, George III and his large family used Kew Palace extensively as their Summer residence and it was first opened to the public by his granddaughter Queen Victoria. In 2006, the palace was reopened to the public after a painstaking, ten-year restoration and conservation project undertaken by Historic Royal Palaces.

The palace provides a behind-the-scenes insight into the private life of a king who underwent now-unthinkable treatments for his misdiagnosed ‘madness’ now believed to have been a rare blood disease called porphyria. Research for the restored interior drew on tax stamps on the back of wallpaper, catalogues from the company which provided the carpets (and continues to trade to this day) and even the doll’s house played with by George III and Queen Charlotte’s daughters.

Original decorative features have been meticulously uncovered or faithfully reproduced using traditional techniques, recreating with remarkable accuracy the palace as it would have been when George III and his family lived there.

Interior

Built in warm red brick, Kew Palace is a welcoming place to visit or to hire for events. This was the royal residence where George III stayed when he disappeared from public life. It was here that the royal family gathered in 2006 for an intimate meal to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday. For all of its historical importance and regal elegance, Kew Palace is both stately and homely providing comfortable luxury for intimate dinner parties and drinks receptions.

Walking across the house’s original stone floor, guests come first to the dark-wood-panelled Ante Room and Tussauds’ bust of George III. Further along you find the King’s Library with a changing display of artefacts relating to George III’s life at Kew. In the King’s Breakfast Room, you can admire the doll’s house built specially for George III’s daughters and the jigsaw puzzles used in their geography lessons.

Spaces For Hire

Kew Palace is available to hire for dinners or receptions in the summer months (April to September) from 6.00pm until 10.30pm.

The King’s Dining Room will seat up to twenty-four guests on one table for dinner or up to thirty guests on tables of ten.

Guests are treated to a private tour of the palace, including areas not open to the public, providing a truly rich and unique experience. The beautifully tended Queen’s Garden is available for intimate drinks receptions for up to forty people, a perfect venue for fine English summer evenings.

Kew Palace operates a list of approved suppliers for catering and floristry.