May 2006 will see the reopening of Kew Palace in London, UK, for the first time in a decade following £6.6m of extensive restoration work to its interiors.
Situated in the capital's Royal Botanic Gardens beside the Thames, Kew Palace is all that remains of an extensive royal residence which was the country home of King George III and Queen Charlotte between 1800 and 1818. It was also where the King convalesced during his illness, as portrayed by Nigel Hawthorne in the film The Madness of King George.
The palace’s interiors have been remodelled to the design that King George would have known while a wax life-cast of the monarch along with his waistcoat and shirt are among some of the artefacts that will displayed.
Kew Palace was originally due to reopen in 2004 but the relaunch was delayed by the Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) charitable trust due to its income downturn following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks and the project was set aside until the trust could acquire further funding.
HRP provided £2.5m of funding towards the total refurbishment cost, a further £1.6m came from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the remainder from a combination of various private benefactors, trusts and foundations.
The Kew Palace reopening will be part of a themed ‘history where it happened’ year in 2006 which will also include HRP’s Tower of London and Kensington Palace properties, where an exhibition of Mario Testino photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales will be on display. Details: www.hrp.org.uk
