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Royal Palaces
All the Royal Palaces are owned by The Queen as Sovereign and held in trust for the nation. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has overall responsibility for the maintenance of the Royal Palaces and is answerable to Parliament for their conservation and efficient management.
There are two types of Royal Palaces:
- The Historic Royal Palaces - these are the palaces no longer used by The Queen or members of the Royal Family. They are managed by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP).
- The Occupied Royal Palaces - these are used by The Queen in fulfilling her role and functions as Head of State. They are used similarly by members of the Royal Family who support The Queen in her work as Head of State.
The Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) have been contracted by the Secretary of State to care for, preserve and present to the public the Unoccupied Royal Palaces. They comprise HM Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the State Apartments at Kensington Palace, the Banqueting House, Whitehall and Kew Palace with Queen Charlotte's Cottage. Formerly an executive agency, HRP was established on 1 April 1998 by Royal Charter as a charitable trust.
The mission of Historic Royal Palaces is to help people explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society in some of the greatest palaces ever built.They receive no funding from the Government or the Crown, so are dependent on the support of visitors, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors. Most recently HRP have launched a membership scheme for the palaces in their care and completed a major restoration and re-presentation project at Kew Palace, the home of King George III, which reopened in Spring 2006.
At Hampton Court Palace they are creating an innovative learning and education centre with funding provided by the Clore Duffield Foundation, amongst others, which will open in early 2007. Future projects for which they will seek funding include the re-presentation of Kensington Palace, a celebration of Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace in 2009 and several major conservation projects at the Tower of London. For more information visit the Historic Royal Palaces website.
Occupied Royal Palaces
Although the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has overall responsibility for the maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces, since 1 April 1991, management and operating responsibility was transferred to the Royal Household.
The Royal Palaces comprise: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James's Palace, Clarence House and the residential areas of Kensington Palace. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides an annual grant to the Royal Household for the maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces.
The State Apartments at Windsor Castle are open to the public throughout the year except when required by The Queen for official entertaining. The State Apartments at Buckingham Palace and parts of Clarence House are open to the public in the summer months. For more information visit the official website of the British Monarchy.
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