Fit for a Queen

Friday October 5

I woke early with a lousy headache and got up to have a cup of tea and bread then took two and went back to bed. T let me sleep a couple of hours and that did the trick. While I got ready he went out to Sainsbury (the local grocery store) for a few things. Finally we set out walking to Kensington Palace which isn't far from our flat. I wanted to visit the exhibit on Queen Victoria. We picked up the 2 for 1 brochure at Victoria Station yesterday and with our train ticket saved a lot of money. As it was after noon we went to the Orangery to have lunch. It's a long white room in a building in the palace gardens. T ordered venison sausage which was very good but I had a rather disappointing salad with smoked chicken. I discovered I don't much like smoked chicken or at least this smoked chicken. Too bad we were too early for tea as I had read they do a lovely tea.

Back in the palace we started with one room on the ground floor with a small exhibit about Princess Diana. We had passed the Cafe Diana on the street across from the park while walking to the palace and a well dressed man coming out of the cafe invited us in for lunch (he was probably the owner). The walls of the cafe were covered with photos of the late Diana--someone is cashing in on Diana. The palace exhibit had about 6 of Diana's dresses displayed along with photos of her wearing them and other photos of her life and with her children. She had lived in Kensington Palace and there were also photos of the flowers left outside the palace when she died.

Up one floor was the exhibit Victoria Revealed which covered major events in her life and featured clothing and personal artifacts. I loved seeing the clothing, especially Victoria's wedding dress. She was so petite. It was all beautifully displayed and photos (without flash) were allowed--I loved that! At the end was a multi-media presentation on Victoria's Jubiliee celebration which we enjoyed. Lots of photos and film of the events. I'm sure it was also planned to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee this year. 

 

We stopped in the little cafe/gift shop at the end of our visit for tea and a scone to share. There is beautiful china for sale for the current Queen's Jubilee but I just can't bring myself to spend more than $60 for a teacup and saucer.

We walked back to the flat and made it just as the rain was starting. This evening we are going to the play "Yes Prime Minister" and have decided to splurge on a taxi rather than fight the Friday night rush hour on the Tube. We'll take the Underground home when there will be fewer people.