7 places in London every royal fan should visit, according to someone who writes about them for a living
While most royal fans visit Buckingham Palace when in London, Kensington Palace shouldn't be overlooked. The palace has been home to young royals for more than 300 years, according to its website. It was the birthplace of Queen Victoria, and more recently was lived in by the late Princess Diana. It's the current residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The palace's Sunken Gardens was the location of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement photo call in 2017, and in 2021 a statue in memory of Princess Diana was unveiled there.
Adult entry tickets to the palace are £20, or around $25.
Kensington High Street is a short walk from the palace and is home to cafes, juice bars, and stores. Markle was a frequent visitor to the street while visiting Harry in London during their courtship, according to Hello! magazine.
Writing in her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, Markle said Kensington flower corner on Kensington High Street was her favorite place to buy flowers in London, Hello! magazine reports.
The luxury department store Fortnum & Mason has a Royal Warrant, which is given to companies that provide goods and services to the royal family. Queen Elizabeth, 96, did her Christmas shopping at the store until she was in her seventies, according to the Fortnum & Mason website.
The store is currently selling a Platinum Jubilee collection of gifts, homeware, and food and drinks in honor of the Queen's 70 years on the throne.
Westminster Abbey is a royal church that's hosted famous events through the years, including royal coronations, weddings, and funerals. It was the location of the Queen and Prince Philip's wedding in 1947, and Prince William and Middleton's wedding in 2011. It was also where Princess Diana's funeral was held in 1997.
Adult entry tickets are £25, or around $31.
St. Paul's Cathedral was the location of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding ceremony in 1981. The stairs leading into the cathedral, where Diana was famously seen wearing her wedding dress for the first time, are visible to the public without a ticket. But if you want to explore inside, adult entry tickets are £18, or around $22.
The Goring is where the Duchess of Cambridge stayed the night before her wedding, according to BBC News. The Queen has also chosen the hotel as a location for her staff Christmas parties over the years, the Daily Mail reports.
Visit the hotel's website to book a stay at The Goring. Rooms cost upwards of £700, or around $880, a night during the Jubilee weekend, but non-hotel guests can dine at the hotel's restaurant or cocktail bar.
The steps at the Lindo Wing maternity unit of St. Mary's Hospital is the perfect place for a photo-op for Cambridge fans. It's where the couple famously posed for the cameras after Middleton gave birth to all three of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The tradition of royals posing for photos after giving birth was started by Princess Diana after she gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry.