Kew Palace is London’s smallest royal palace. It isn’t a show-off-y place, but still looks like a small jewel box in Dutch red brick.
It feels very intimate compared to Buckingham, Kensington, or Hampton Court. What surprised me most was the ordinariness of it. It’s less Versailles than family home.
But it tells one of the most human stories in royal history: the private family life of George Ill and Queen Charlotte and the sadness that overtook it.
Fans of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte will immediately recognize it as the George III’s residence during his illness. You’ll get a sneak peak on what life was like for the royal pair.
Here’s what to see and why it’s worth a visit to what was cruelly nicknamed “the mad king’s palace.”
Mini History of Kew Palace
Kew & George III
Kew Palace was built in 1631 by a wealthy merchant. But it’s best known as the home of George III, Queen Charlotte, and their family who made it one of their royal residences.
Kew Palace witnessed both the happiest and saddest chapters of George Ill’s family life.
George III was most famous for his illness (perhaps bipolar disorder), but that shouldn’t define him. George was a complex man.
He was intensely interested in architecture, drawing, music, science, farming, and the natural world. He was a collector of books and art and a devoted husband and father.
George III & Queen Charlotte
The tale begins when George Ill married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761. They were an unusually affectionate royal couple and had 15 children.
Unlike many royal marriages, theirs developed into a genuine partnership, and George appears to have remained faithful throughout his life.
They preferred a relatively private domestic life over the glitter of court. “Little Kew” became one of their favorite retreats and their summer home. George even kept a flock of sheep.
However, the tale ends quite differently. That same house became associated with episodes of mental illness, separation, and the slow unraveling of one of Britain’s most devoted royal marriages.
George’s Illness
It was here that George suffered through intensive treatments during major episodes, particularly in 1788-89, 1801, and 1804.
The thinking was that the quieter surroundings and privacy would be better for him than St. James’s Palace or Windsor Castle.
As the Queen Charlotte series shows, the treatments were painful and designed to humiliate and humble the king. George was desperate for a cure.
When none was forthcoming, he never lived at Kew again. And his marriage became much more difficult.
Once the Prince of Wales became Prince Regent, George was eventually moved primarily to Windsor Castle. There, he spent the last decade of his life, increasingly blind, deaf, and mentally incapacitated.
By the 1810s, George and Charlotte were living largely separate lives because of his illness, not because the marriage had broken down. Charlotte was sometimes kept away from him by his physicians, who believed emotional agitation could worsen his condition.
Queen Charlotte died at age 74 at Kew on November 17, 1818. George III died at 81 on January 29, 1820, just over a year after Charlotte. They are buried together in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
In 1888, their granddaughter, Queen Victoria, restored Kew and opened it to the public.
>>> Click here to book a ticket
Bridgerton & Queen Charlotte: A Royal Love Story
Queen Charlotte is a hugely popular Netflix series that features Kew Palace. The show cheerfully mixes fact and fiction, opening with the disclaimer: “All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional.”
The series begins with Charlotte’s brother negotiating her marriage to George III. Charlotte, however, is anything but eager. She topples a Roman bust in frustration and jokes that her whalebone corset is likely to kill her before the wedding does.
After arriving in England, Charlotte immediately plots her escape. She first meets George while attempting to climb over a wisteria-covered garden wall. The pair quickly hit it off and marry.
But after the ceremony, George abruptly informs his new bride that she will live at St. James’s Palace while he resides at Kew. In the series, he keeps his distance so Charlotte won’t witness his episodes of mental illness while he pursues his passion for astronomy.
Most of this is pure dramatic invention. There was no attempted escape. They never spent time apart after they were married. And George was fine for a long time.
One thing that was true? Lord Bute looked as fierce in his portrait as he does on the TV series.
But he wasn’t fierce all the time. After Bute became George’s tutor, he inspired the young prince’s lifelong love of science and architecture. He became a father figure George affectionately called “My Dearest Friend.”
And, in reality, George III and Charlotte lived together as husband and wife for decades before the king suffered his first major bout of mental illness in 1788. By then, they had already been married for nearly 27 years and had a large family.
That’s one reason Queen Charlotte is so poignant. The series compresses and dramatizes events. But the central idea, that Charlotte stayed committed to George over a very long marriage despite his illness, is historically true.
It’s a tragic love story. Two strangers entered an arranged marriage, discovered they were well suited to each other, built a close family over nearly three decades, and then had their lives transformed by George’s mental illness.
Was Queen Charlotte filmed at the real Kew Palace? No.
Netflix used other historic houses instead. Waddesdon Manor stood in for Kew’s exterior and gardens, while Belton House supplied many of the interior scenes. The real Kew Palace is far smaller and more intimate than the royal residence portrayed on screen.
Guide To Kew Palace: What You’ll See
There are some 22 rooms in the palace and you can explore 10 of them.
Each room preserves something unique. Plus, at the entrance, you’ll be greeted by a guide dressed in period clothing, which is a nice touch.
In these rooms, you can explore the couple’s interests and passions and learn the tragic story of George’s illness and its effect on his family.
I’ve listed the rooms in the order you’ll encounter them on a visit.
The King’s Library and Bust
The first room you’ll enter is the King’s Library. It’s fitted with glass-fronted bookcases, wood paneling, portraits of George and Charlotte, the princesses’ doll house, some of the king’s own books, and his flute.
In the ante room, you’ll see a large wax bust of the king in uniform with a wig (shown above). It was taken from an original modeled from life by Madame Tussaud in 1809.
The bust has been positioned to stand at the correct height of the King. So sidle up to him and see how you compare!
Page’s Waiting Room
The next room was used by George Ill and Queen Charlotte’s servants. They would stay here while waiting for instructions, which is why it became known as the “waiting room.”
A servant’s life was difficult. They worked long hours and were responsible for many different jobs.
The royal servants used a secret staircase to move quietly around Kew Palace. If you look closely, you can spot the door that leads to the secret staircase. If not, one of our palace hosts can open it for you.
Today, this room is filled with mannequins representing George Ill and Queen Charlotte’s family at the ages they were in 1784. On the wall, you can images of all 15 children.
You can also dress up in royal outfits and imagine you are one of the royal children at a Kew. Great for kids!
King’s Dining Room & Breakfast Room
The dining room is where, in April 1801, Dr. Francis Willis tricked George into remaining at Kew for treatment. He enticed the king into the dining room to discuss Van Dyck’s self-portrait, hanging above the fireplace.
Realizing the trap, George cried, “Sir, I will never forgive you whilst I live!”
He sprang from his chair and tried to flee, but Willis’s men blocked the door. George finally agreed to stay, provided his family remained nearby.
He was joined by his wife and daughters (Augusta, Amelia, Elizabeth, and Sophia).
The King lived entirely on the ground floor, isolated from his family. The Queen and Princesses lived upstairs and would only saw George under the doctor’s supervision.
You can basically stand in the very room where George III realized he’d been tricked and look at the same Van Dyck that caught his attention over 200 years ago.
The Boudoir
The Boudoir is an extremely pretty sitting room.
But don’t let the elegant furnishings fool you. In 1804, this room became part of a gilded prison where George’s family passed the time.
Queen Charlotte and her daughters lived quietly at Kew when the king’s mental health deteriorated. They saw few visitors and spent most of their days upstairs before joining the king for carefully supervised dinners.
Speaking of her misery, Princess Amelia said, “I think it a great mercy we have so little company, as a made-up face with a heavy heart is a sad martyrdom.”
And don’t miss the little spinning wheel on the left side of the room. That isn’t just decorative.
Charlotte and her daughters were enthusiastic supporters of domestic industry, and spinning and needlework were considered both virtuous and relaxing pursuits. It’s exactly the sort of understated object that tells you something about daily life at Kew. Much more than another gilded chair would.
Queen Charlotte’s Drawing Room and Bedroom
The grandest room in Kew Palace is Queen Charlotte’s Drawing Room.
On July 11, 1818, it briefly became a royal chapel for a double wedding, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The future Queen Victoria’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, married here alongside the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, the future William IV and Queen Adelaide.
Kew was chosen over a more magnificent setting because Queen Charlotte was too ill to travel.
She hoped to recover, but her health steadily worsened. She suffered from dropsy (edema), and later developed pneumonia.
Because the swelling was so severe, she could no longer lie flat and spent much of her time sitting upright. She died at age 74, seated in a black horsehair armchair in her bedroom surrounded by her daughters Augusta and Mary, the Prince Regent (the future George IV), and the Duke of York.
After her death, a ribbon and handwritten note were attached to it reading: “Queen Charlotte died in this chair.” It’s a small, but poignant piece of real history.
King’s Drawing Room & Bedroom
These two rooms are in the basement and were closed for conservation when I was there.
I was told they were surprisingly modest. Knowing George III spent so many years at Kew, both good and bad, the rooms have a quiet, almost melancholy atmosphere.
Princess Rooms
In 1804, George III became ill again. Princess Elizabeth became the family’s linchpin, relaying information between the king, Queen Charlotte, the doctors, and government ministers.
To accommodate her, the palace’s former library on the first floor was converted into her bedroom so she could remain close to the queen. Elizabeth personally directed its stylish makeover.
In the room, you’ll also see a cartoon drawing of George III.
Dressed simply, he’s shown nursing his one month old granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Wales. With his kindly gaze, George is portrayed as a committed family man.
The modest furnishings jar with the glory of the King’s position and were intended to make fun of his frugal lifestyle.
On the second floor, if it’s open, you can see the bedrooms of Princesses Augusta, Amelia, Elizabeth, and Sophia. They were so small that they were forced to hang their gowns on the bedroom doors.
Royal Kitchen
For a small extra fee, you can tour the Royal Kitchens, hidden away in a separate building from the palace. When Queen Charlotte died in 1818, they were locked and left untouched for almost two centuries.
Rediscovered in 2012, the kitchens are a remarkable time capsule.
At their peak, some 20 staff members prepared meals for the royal family. Highlights include the original 1737 elm worktable, copper cookware, utensils, and charcoal stoves.
Don’t miss George III’s tin bath. His doctors prescribed warm baths, and the king chose to bathe in the kitchen rather than have servants haul hot water up to his apartments.
Queen’s Garden
The Queen’s Garden is the small garden attached to Kew Palace. Although it looks thoroughly Georgian, it’s actually a modern reconstruction of the 17th century garden.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the garden in 1969, recreating the type of royal garden that George III and Queen Charlotte would have enjoyed.
The garden is quite lovely with flowers, medicinal herbs, fountains, rose tunnels, box hedges, fruit trees, stone walking paths, and statues. At the time, medicinal herbs were in their heyday.
Most of the plants in this sunken herb garden are from Gerard’s Herball or Parkinson’s Theatrum Botaniçum. You can see the labels in the garden.
It’s easy to imagine the young royal family strolling in the gardens or taking tea outdoors.
Combine with Kew Gardens
Now, I know most of you are visiting Kew Place on your visit to Kew Gardens.
It’s a massive place and, to see it properly, you’ll need to spend 3-4 hours there. To get there, you can either take the Richmond metro stop to Lion Gate or the Kew Gardens station and enter at Victoria Gate.
If you get out at the latter, pick up a map and take a counter clockwise route.
You can see the main sites in this order:
- Palm House
- Princess of Wales Conservatory
- Orangery
- Kew Palace
- Princess Walk
- Treetop Walkway (an elevated steel walkway that lets you stroll through the forest canopy)
- Temperate House
- Great Pagoda (extra change to enter)
There are plenty of places to eat along the way.
Practical Tips
Hours: 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, last entry at 6:00 pm.
Tickets:
To visit Kew Palace, you have to purchase a ticket to Kew Gardens. Admission to the gardens is £ 26 for adults if you purchase tickets at the gate, though you’ll save a few pounds by booking online in advance. Click here to pre-book a ticket.
You can also book a guided royal tour of Kew or a hidden spaces tour for £ 5 euros.
Time needed: 45-60 minutes.
Accessibility:
Kew Palace is largely accessible, with step-free entry, an accessible lift, and wheelchair loans available. Because it’s a historic building, however, the corridors and doorways are narrow, making it best suited to smaller wheelchairs.
The adjoining Queen’s Garden is also accessible, although some paths in Kew Gardens have gravel or uneven surfaces.
Seating: There are lounge chairs to the left of the entrance of the palace for use by the public.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to Kew Palace. You may find these other London travel guides useful:
- 3 Days in London Itinerary
- 5 Days in London Itinerary
- Harry Potter Places in London
- Tourist Traps To Avoid in London
- Hidden Gems in London
- Best Museums in London
- Best day trips from London
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