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Diana's home gets £1 million to make it the people's palace
Louise Jury and Mira Bar-Hillel16.09.09
Plans to transform Kensington Palace received a huge cash boost today.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £999,000 towards the £12million plans aimed at turning the former home of Princess Diana into "a palace for everyone".
This comes despite a row over a proposed new entrance or "loggia" which was supported by Prince Charles's charity, the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, but condemned as "embarrassingly twee" by Daniel Moylan, the Conservative deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea council.
The cast-iron and glass entrance was rejected by planners last month. But Sue Bowers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in London, said the spat made no difference to the decision to back the overall plan, which has won planning consent.
"We have no particular detailed view over the loggia. It's for them to work that out in consultation with the planners to find the best solution," she said. "But it's a fantastic project. It's going to transform the work of the gardens and the house and how they interpret the story of the palace."
Kensington Palace receives no royal or government money but is run by the Historic Royal Palaces charity. Michael Day, its chief executive, said the Lottery grant was a "generous contribution" to the project to renovate the site in time for the Olympics and Queen's Jubilee in 2012.
The lottery award brings the project's funds to £8million so far.
The plan includes greater accessibility with a lift to all public floors, a "hub" for visitors to get a free taste of the inside, educational facilities and café. Public gardens will reconnect the palace with Kensington Gardens.
The planners' criticisms of the loggia are being considered by Historic Royal Palaces' experts before a final decision is made. Wesley Kerr, the HLF's chairman, said new generations would be able to learn from the great stories of the palace - "the formative years of great queens, the lives of troubled princesses, all told amid the splendid architecture, art and gardens".
Kensington Palace became a royal palace in 1689 when it was bought by William and Mary. The Grade-I listed building hosted the courts of Queen Anne, George I and II, and Queen Victoria was born and raised there.
Sir Trevor McDonald, trustee of Historic Royal Palaces, said: "I'm excited to be part of this ambitious initiative that will enable more people to explore this palace of extraordinary history."
