Nestled in the leafy Kensington Gardens next to London’s famous Hyde Park, Kensington Palace has been one of the most recognisable royal residences since it was built in the 17th century.

It is the official London base of many members of the Firm, such as Prince William and Princess Kate – who lived in Apartment 1A in the Palace until last year – the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Princess Diana too famously lived in the Palace, with her statue being unveiled in the Sunken Garden of the Palace in the summer of 2021.

Kensington Palace is an ideal place for a family day out, with plenty on offer as it is taken care of by the charity Historic Royal Palaces, an organisation which expertly cares for a host of royal properties including Kew Palace, the Tower of London, Banqueting House and Hampton Court Palace.

Here Express.co.uk takes a look at the history of the Palace, how much it will cost to get in and what your ticket price can get you, as the royals have begun to offer £1 tickets to some families.

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Kensington Palace was originally built as a two-storey mansion in 1605, however after William III and Mary II assumed the throne in 1689 they moved in and began renovating the property to make it suitable for royalty.

Other famous monarchs who made their home at Kensington included Queen Anne, George I and George II, with the first two making their own improvements to the Palace.

One of its most renowned residents was Queen Victoria, who was born there in 1819 and learned there as an 18 year old in 1937 that she had succeeded her uncle William IV to the throne, with her holding her first Privy Council meeting in the Palace’s Red Saloon.

After the royals relocated to Buckingham Palace Kensington was used by more minor royals, but eventually fell into disrepair and was damaged during the Blitz in 1940.

Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent moved into Apartment 1A in 1955 and after her marriage in 1960 Princess Margaret also moved in as it gradually grew in importance as a royal home.

In 1981 then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana moved into Apartments 8 and 9, with them raising Princes William and Harry there and Kensington remaining Diana’s home until her death in 1997.

Entry to Kensington Palace will give you access to all public areas of the house and garden, including the rooms of Queen Victoria, the King’s State Apartments and the Queen’s State Apartments.

For a family of four (two adults and two children aged between 5-15) to visit Kensington Palace is £60 without a donation, £20 per adult and £10 per child, but with a donation added on this goes up to £22 and £11 respectively.

Children under five go free, while seniors (aged 65+), students aged 16-17 and disabled people are entitled to concessions, £16 without a donation and £17.60 with.

Members of Historic Royal Palaces go free, with an annual family membership costing £110 for the first year, then £120 – only slightly cheaper than a family National Trust annual membership, which totals £146.40, or £120 for English Heritage.

Kensington Palace is situated in central London, with good bus and Tube links nearby, and coming by car is not recommended as there are limited public parking facilities in the area.

From October 21 Historic Royal Palaces are slashing the entry prices to Kensington, Hampton Court and the Tower of London to just £1 for those on universal credit and other named benefits.

Kensington Palace is closed to the public until December 13, although the Pavilion and the Sunken Gardens are open Wednesday to Sunday 10am-4pm.

The Palace is then open December 13 until Christmas Eve, Wednesday until Sunday 10am-4pm, with last admission at 3pm and pre-booking is advised.

From December 11-15 the Luna Winter Cinema will be open at the Palace, offering a range of fun festive films to be enjoyed on the big screen, with Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone and The Holiday all available to see with a ticket.

The Palace is owned by the monarch on behalf of the Crown Estate, meaning King Charles is able to use it for himself and his family as he wishes.

Historic Royal Palaces is responsible for upkeep on the Palace and operating it as a tourist attraction; as an independent charity they rely on donations and legacies, charitable activities and grants, investments and other trading activities for funding.

The charity claims it receives no money from the Crown or the Government, but data released from the financial year ending March 31 2022 says that Historic Royal Palaces were given £8,798,671 in Government grants.