Kensington Palace's rich history as royal residence

Princess Louise created this statue of Queen Victoria which greets visitors coming to Kensington Palace; the palace was severely damaged during The Blitz of 1940

Kensington Palace has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The King's Gallery showcased paintings from the Royal Collection; Kensington Palace was the royal residence from 1689-1837 but was replaced by Buckingham Palace

This was the only photo of the current residents of Kensington Palace; the palace was opened to visitors in 2012 after a $14 million renovation

Princess Diana lived at Kensington Palace both during and after her marriage to Prince Charles (1981-1997); Princes William and Harry were raised in Kensington Palace and went to local nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill

This was the only gown worn by Princess Diana displayed in the palace; most of the tour focused on Queen Victoria but visitors had come looking for more information on the current residents

Queen Anne's story is one of the saddest for Kensington Palace; she had 18 pregnancies but none of her children survived to adulthood; after her husband died, she had a most scandalous friendship with an intimate friend Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough

This is Victoria's earliest surviving dress, worn when she was about 14; the silk and lace dress was made in France and may have been a gift from her uncle, King Leopold of Belgium and his French wife

Queen Victoria's emerald tiara, necklace and earrings; Victoria was queen for 63 years, from the time she was 18 until her death at 82

The Queen's Dining Room can be booked for private events; the room has beautiful paneling from the 17th century but the King's Rooms were more ornate and impressive

Kensington Palace was originally a two-story Jacobean mansion built in 1605 in the village of Kensington; William and Kate occupy a 20 room apartment within Kensington Palace

Upon Diana's death on August 31, 1997, the gates at Kensington Palace became the focus of public mourning with over one million bouquets, reaching 5 feet deep in places, placed as tribute stretching out into Kensington Gardens

This was the last portrait made of Queen Victoria; 400,000 people came to London on June 28, 1838 to watch her coronation

Presence Chamber; George II received ambassadors, men of ideas and ordinary people in this room and had the power to change people's lives

In this room, on May 24, 1819, Victoria was born; at the time she was fifth in line for the throne; currently half of Kensington Palace has been divided into apartments for members of the Royal Family