As we prepare to launch our inaugural show at Kew Gardens, Fleurs de Villes Downton Abbey, let’s explore the history and significance of this beautiful venue that so perfectly embodies the spirit of the era. During the show, guests will stroll through a grand indoor marquee set on the lawns, and marvel at a stunning collection of our famous fresh floral mannequins and other lavish Downton Abbey-inspired floral creations. 

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THE HISTORY OF KEW PALACE

Tucked into the lush southwest corner of London lies a palace so charmingly modest it’s easy to miss, but impossible to forget. Kew Palace, built in 1631 as a red-bricked hunting lodge, wears its crown lightly as the smallest of Britain’s royal residences. It has no gilded ballroom or sprawling wings, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in intimacy, historical resonance, and verdant beauty. For those with a taste for both botany and royalty, Kew is a bucolic retreat.

Originally built for a wealthy London merchant, the house became royal property in the early 18th century when it was purchased by King George II. Seeking a pastoral refuge from the stiff grandeur of court life and the soot of the city, he turned Kew into a retreat for the royal family. And so began the palace’s second life as a sanctuary not of power, but of peace.

It was King George III and Queen Charlotte who left the most indelible mark on Kew. The couple, famously devoted to their 15 children and to each other, brought their household to this garden escape during the summer months. While other monarchs preferred the pomp of Windsor or the politics of Buckingham, George and Charlotte found solace in leaves and learning. George, with his homespun agricultural experiments and rural ideals, was affectionately dubbed “Farmer George.” He wasn’t so much playing at farming as deeply invested in a natural philosophy of health and harmony.

Kew Palace became more than a home – it was a haven, especially during the king’s recurring struggles with mental illness. At a time when mental health was shrouded in shame and misunderstanding, Kew offered quiet dignity. Here, George could walk among the trees, observe the plants he so loved, and experience moments of calm. The smaller scale of the palace allowed the family to be together without ceremony. It was a place of healing – at least in intention, if not always in outcome.

Queen Charlotte, too, found meaning in the gardens that surrounded the palace. Her botanical curiosity blossomed into a passion for scientific art. Inspired by her time at Kew, she pursued botanical illustration – a genteel yet intellectually rich pastime that suited her temperament and royal status. One can easily imagine her meandering through the gardens, sketchbook in hand, pausing beneath the cascading golden blooms of the laburnum archway, her favourite spot. The garden wasn’t ornamental; it was personal, expressive, alive.

Step inside the palace today (which is open seasonally) and you'll find those botanical interests have become part of the very walls. The interiors are decorated with painted leaves and floral motifs, the wood-paneled rooms filled with soft echoes of children’s footsteps and queenly sketches. The effect is not grandeur but grace – Kew is a royal house that remembers it once was a home.

THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, enhances the experience with 320 acres of curated flora, historic glasshouses, and seasonal wonders. The 19th century saw the transfer of the gardens from the Crown to the government, opening access to the public and accelerating botanical research. By 1900, the Temperate House, Palm House and Herbarium were built, housing thousands of species of plants from around the globe. Kew now is a leading botanical science institution, with one of the largest botanical and fungi collections in the world. Its mission is to protect biodiversity loss and ensure that nature is valued around the globe, while inspiring curiosity and appreciation for the natural world in millions of visitors yearly. 

Kew Palace is one of Kew Gardens royal residences and is a place where history is not grandiose but gently human, and where the past feels comfortingly alive. It may be the smallest of the royal palaces, but it tells one of the richest stories. Not of conquests or coronations, but of family, fragility, and flowers.