Kensington Palace Gardens: Getting to know London's most expensive street

Queen Mary’s ‘modest’ country retreat, the birthplace of Queen Victoria, and Diana’s beloved ‘KP’: this lavish Jacobean manor has been a favourite of the royal family for more than three centuries. Now home to several royals, including Princess Eugenie and her family, Kensington Palace lies in Palace Green at the southern end of the street, and – short of wangling an invite to one Tamara Ecclestone’s house parties –  is the only home here that Joe Public can actually visit. 

Step inside to ogle Queen Mary’s opulent State Apartments and gaze boggle-eyed at some of Queen Vicky’s sparkliest bling, and don’t miss the glorious Sunken Garden with its statue of Lady Di. 

Pro-tip: entry to Kensington Palace and its meticulously manicured gardens is included with The London Pass®, along with another 100 or so top-tier London attractions.

Royals aside, Kensington Palace Gardens is – and has been – home to many of the planet’s most monied folk. Here’s a brief guide to what’s what and who’s who…

Known as the ‘Carnegie of Calcutta’, Indian entrepreneur and businessman Lakshmi Mittal amassed his multi-billion fortune in the steel industry, and bought his first property on Kensington Palace Gardens in 2004. This extraordinary mansion – nicknamed the Taj Mittal – was owned by the Rothschild family for many decades before being bought by Bernie Ecclestone in 2001 and sold on to Mittal (for a cool £57 million) in 2004.

But the story doesn’t end there. Mittal loved life on Kensington Palace Gardens so much that he later splashed out an additional £187 million on neighbouring homes for his son and daughter. We hope they remember to send him a Father’s Day card!

Former Chelsea FC owner Abramovitch acquired his 15-bedroom London palace for a reputed £90 million in 2009, and it has continued to cost him dear ever since. That’s largely thanks to extensive renovations – a new pool, extended terrace, and extra 4,000 square feet of subterranean living space – but having his UK assets frozen in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine probably hasn’t helped. 

The daughter of Formula One mogul Bernie Ecclestone, Tamara technically lives on Palace Green rather than Kensington Palace Gardens. But who’s counting? This social media mogul’s £70 million mansion runs to some 57 rooms, with mega-rich trappings like a golden bathtub and a warehouse-sized walk-in wardrobe containing a collection of designer handbags that likely cost more than your house. Meanwhile daughter Sophia’s playhouse is a luxurious £10,000 replica of the larger family home. How the other half live, eh?

So, once you’ve taken the grand tour of Kensington Palace and gazed slack-jawed at the monumental mansions along the length of Kensington Palace Gardens, what else can you get up to? Here’s what…

• Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. This huge tract of Central London parkland, just east of Kensington Palace, is home to an embarrassment of riches. We’re talking the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Queen Victoria’s soaring memorial to her beloved Albert, bleeding-edge contemporary art at the Serpentine Galleries, and tranquil boat rides on the lake. And that’s just for starters.
• High Street Kensington. The shopping here is more upscale and less frenzied than the seventh circle of hell that is Oxford Street, with a mix of high-street brands, indie boutiques and cute cafés from which to watch the world go by.

• Holland Park. This unassuming park is an oasis of calm and tranquility just north of the excellent Design Museum at the west end of High Street Kensington. Don’t miss its ultra-zen Kyoto Garden, complete with waterfalls, lanterns, koi fish and preening peacocks.
• Portobello Road. Home to London’s best bric-a-brac market, this colourful street runs down behind Notting Hill and is your absolute go-to for souvenirs: antique cutlery, retro fashions and a London bus fridge magnet for the win.
• South Ken’s big three. That’s the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A to you: a trio of London’s best museums, all within a mile of Kensington Palace Gardens’ southern end.

Enjoyed this? Check out our guide to the loveliest gardens in London, and discover all the best things to do in the City of London.