Kensington Palace reopens to public after renovationMarch 21, 2012 - 19:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Kensington Palace, home to Queen Victoria and Princess Diana in the past and from next year to Prince William and his wife Catherine, reopens to the public after extensive renovation, AFP reported. Fringed by manicured gardens, the red-brick palace in central London has borne witness to both the high politics and intimate personal lives of the British monarchy for more than 300 years. Visitors - who officials hope will come in droves during a summer in which London hosts both the Olympic Games and celebrations for the queen’s Diamond Jubilee - can explore dozens of rooms in the spruced-up palace. “When you come here, you meet four different centuries of the royal family,” chief curator Lucy Worsley told AFP, unveiling the results of the two-year, $19 million makeover. Of course, the 407-year-old building is anything but brand new - but curators have used innovative methods, including light projections and ‘whispering’ curtains, to bring its rich history to life. In contrast to the imposing splendour of Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II’s main residence, the smaller Kensington Palace offers something resembling coziness to the British monarchy. The company that manages the palace hopes to attract 380,000 visitors a year, compared to 280,000 before the renovation. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |