London: Tea Time in Wonderland

London always lifts your heart when you first come to live there. You want to visit everything. The classics, the coulourfull, the trendy, the atmospherical, the sweet places. The list grows by the minute.

Of course, after a while you slow down. Events, festivals, pop-ups take priority. You’ll have the time later for the main places, won’t you? That’s how Kensington Palace just got forgotten. let alone I pictured it, well, kind of boring, to be honest.

Rather than close its doors for two years of renovations, it was decided to transform a whole floor into a fairytale: Alice means British Royalty-like. Seven princesses having lived here are presented in a real ballet of creativity. An enchanted map is handed out with clues to find more about each lady and their life.

The result is just amazing. Each room is extraodinarily decorated and is worth of Tim Burton. Branches with white gloves show you the way, a paper dress decorated with lace and drawings is lit form inside…

…sculptures hang from chandeliers, extraordinary hats project their intriguing shapes on the walls, a forest of tree gathers around Diana and Margaret’s dresses, suspended as in a dance…

But what you have to applaude is he way emotion rises in you. The visual effects are of course spectacular… and for once, it is no the political game that is so much focused on but the princesses as persons: their feelings, their pains, their personnality… One saddens for Margaret II who will dies childless, her sister not being luckier with 14 vain pregnancies. On a table shine sparkling bottles, filled with tears. Some are sealed – those are happiness ones, to be preserved – some are not, and hopefully, the cause of pain will evaporate as well…

Further on is Young Victoria’s bedroom – the very one she woke up in one morning, just to learn she finally was queen. Until then, her childhood had been mainly isolated form other children, though she was never left a minute alone, not even to come down the stairs and even had to sleep in her mother’s bedroom. Tempest created for her a dream of freedom, a dress of 100 origami birds, rising in the air…

Vivienne Westwood dedicate a flamboyant dress to Princess Charlotte, a little rebel, and discreetly added a badge “I’m expensive”…

Amidst this royal dance in time wanders the Wildworks theatre troup. Their costumes plays with different eras, and they seem to waltz around, sprinkling a little magic, a touch of a laugh, or stop to whisper a secret about one of the princesses… The Palace staff also is delighted to share their favourite details with you.

Don’t forget to look in the children’s room, royal toys and miniature infant shoes, delately and richly decorated with lace…

You’ll also see a paper replica of Kensington Palace, with a heart of light…

Absolutely hypnotising and worth every penny. And perfect for everyone, whether your a history fan, a fashionista, parents with kids… Don’t hesitate to bring foreign friends too, even if they don’t master Shakepeare’s language: each room presents a counted version in a fairytale book, each page in a different language.

Enchanted Palace
Kensington Palace
202 Cromwell Rd
London W8 4PX

£11.50/adult (if you travel by train, and you can buy the very cheapest one for the occasion, you can enjoy a 2 for the price of 1 tickets)
Until january 2012

Psst: if like me, you tend to flee crowds… then go to an open evening. Same price but the feeling to be privileges. Come a little before 20.00 – you will be 3 or 4 per room only, much more magical! The next ones will be June 18, July 16 and August 20.

Psst 2: coming during the day? take the kids to the nearby Peter Pan garden…

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