Kensington Palace from the south east. Kensington became a royal residence in 1689 when King William III and Queen Mary II purchased a private country house and commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to enlarge it for their use. For the next 70 years the palace was at the centre of the life and government of the kingdom and played host to the courts of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I and George II. Public admission to Kensington Gardens was controlled by gatekeepers, who only admitted those whose dress and appearance met with their approval - such as those shown enjoying the gardens here