An evening at Kensington Palace

Please join us for an exclusive evening visit in the new reopened Orangery of Kensington Palace and a visit to Untold Lives, the new exhibition in the Palace, on Tuesday 13 August. 

The evening will begin with a reception on the terrace of the Orangery and the opportunity to see the interior renovation. 

The Orangery was originally designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor to house Queen Anne’s orange trees in winter, before evolving into a summer “supper house”, enhanced by Sir John Vanbrugh. It has since been restored twice: in the 19^th century, when much of the panelling was replaced, and again in the 21^st, in a process which has taken the last seven years. The interiors include carvings by the celebrated Grinling Gibbons and four statues by Pietro Francavilla, bought in 1751 by Frederick, Prince of Wales, father of George III, each placed carefully in its own niche.

Following the reception there will a private tour of Untold Lives, the exhibition of paintings and photographs of some of the staff who kept the Palace going in the past. Mishka Sinha, curator of the exhibition, will introduce Untold Lives, highlighting servants and courtiers from pages to cooks, from wetnurses to seamstresses, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain, protect and promote the monarch at the royal palaces over three hundred years ago.

The group will be limited to 60 people, so sign up early. The palace requires that each participant has a numbered, personal ticket with their name on it, and this ticket cannot be transferred to someone else. Because of this, your booking must have the names and addresses of each participant. Also, the bookings close at 9.00am on Friday 9 August, in order for the tickets to be prepared and mailed in good time before the event. The tickets will contain information about where we meet up, and which way to leave the palace grounds afterwards.

Kensington Society members £40, non-members £60

Not a member? It’s only £20 for a whole year – and you can become a member immediately by registering and paying here.