London: Kensington Palace, a fabulous facelift

Kensington Palace from the south by Jan Kip

Kensington Palace, longtime a residence for the British Royal Family, is located in the Royal Borough of Kensington in Chelsea, London. To lure additional tourists to the site, Historic Royal Palaces—manager of the state rooms open to the public—has invited the artistic direction of several artisans in fashion to transform the rooms into whimsical works of art. Newly dubbed the "Enchanted Palace," the exhibit offers visitors a map to aid them in discovering the secrets of the State Rooms. The site's official website explains:

At the heart of the Enchanted Palace journey is a quest for the seven princesses who once lived here. Their lives have been re-imagined as installations offering a fascinating interpretation of the palace’s hidden stories. The rebellious princess who ran from an arranged marriage into the arms of love. Sad queens who bore the pain and sadness of lost babies. The young heir to the throne who escaped the controlling grasp of her overprotective mother.

No longer a stale display of dusty furniture protected by velvet ropes, the exhibit includes work from designers Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan. For a peek at some of their creations, below is a video courtesy of the Wall Street Journal Online:

The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace
1 March – 31 October open daily 10am - 6pm (last admission 5pm)
1 November – 28 February open daily 10am - 5pm (last admission 4pm)
0844.482.7799 (from UK) or +44.0.20.3166.6000 (from outside the UK)
hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace