A Royal-Inspired London Travel Guide, Part 1
Where to stay and dine to live your best royal life in the UK capital, plus tips for catching a glimpse of a royal family member.
Welcome to So Many Thoughts, a semi-weekly newsletter about royal style and the other parts of life I want to think through with you. You can subscribe here and follow me on Instagram at @EHolmes. Thank you!
Fresh off my trip across the pond, I am so excited to share with you a two-part, royal-themed London travel guide. So many of you have trips planned, or are hoping to go soon, and asked for my recommendations. I turned to Laura McCallen, who was one of the fantastic researchers for my book, HRH. She was kind enough to show me around Kensington Palace last week—and spotted the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show!—so I can personally attest not only to her deep knowledge of the royals but also her care as a tour guide.
More on Laura below, along with her recommendations for where to stay and dine. She also has some great tips on when and where to spot a member of the royal family. Look for part two of her travel guide, on where to shop, sightsee and play, coming this Friday.
What are your favorite London stops? Bonus points if they have a royal connection! Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and share in the comments of this newsletter.
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A Royal-Inspired London Travel Guide, Part 1
Before we dive in! I asked Laura to introduce herself:
Our royal tour guide! Laura McCallen
“Hi there! I’m a Canadian-born, UK-based freelance book editor who has always been an anglophile at heart. I hold an MA in Tudor history (I wrote my dissertation on Queen Elizabeth I) and it was my late maternal grandmother who first inspired and encouraged my fascination with the British Royal Family. Some of my most treasured memories are hearing her stories of the times she and my grandfather met Her Majesty the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Since moving to the UK in 2013, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a variety of royal engagements including a Buckingham Palace Garden Party, Trooping the Colour, and The Patron's Lunch in honor of Her Majesty's 90th birthday in 2016. I also never miss Royal Ascot! Though I have now lived in central London for nearly a decade, I still love to act like a tourist in my own town so I’m grateful to Elizabeth for this opportunity to share all my tips for a royal trip to remember.”
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STAY ROYALLY
London has an array of hotels at every price point, so you’re sure to find something to fit your budget. To root yourself in the royal world, aim to stay in areas such as:
High Street Kensington. This is just around the corner from Kensington Palace, where Will, Kate, and the kids live while they are in London.
South Kensington. Home to the Victoria and Albert Museum (one of Kate’s patronages!), the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. This area is also right down the road from Harrods. Happy shopping!
Victoria. This is a great home base close to the big royal draws of Buckingham Palace, the Mall, and Westminster Abbey.
Westminster. Perfect if you are looking for iconic views of the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye. (EH adds: I stayed at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, which was lovely! Just out the front door and around the corner were views of Trafalgar Square in one direction and Westminster and Big Ben in the other.)
The Goring, where Kate stayed the night before her wedding. (Photo by Laura McCallen)
If you’ve got room in your budget to splurge, consider looking at the super luxe spots the duchesses stayed at the night before each of their weddings. Kate stayed just around the corner from Buckingham Palace at The Goring, while Meghan was a bit further afield, up in Berkshire, at Cliveden House, the perfect place to relax before her glam Windsor wedding.
Also, keep The Rubens at the Palace in mind! Located directly across from The Royal Mews at BP, they offer royal-themed rooms.
EAT ROYALLY
Though we know Kate and Meghan both love to cook, they’ve also been spotted indulging in some of the many delicious gastric delights on offer in London. Hello magazine has a great overview of where to go if you want to eat what the royals eat, but for the best atmosphere, tastiest menus, and Instagram-worthy surroundings, you’ll want to reserve your royal table at any of the following. (EH adds: I highly recommend making reservations whenever possible! Especially for afternoon tea, as they tend to fill up quickly.)
Breakfast
The Ivy. With locations in Chelsea and Kensington, this budget and family friendly group of restaurants has an expansive breakfast menu which will ensure you start your day royally. The Queen dined here in 2017, and both locations are royal adjacent. The King's Road location is just around the corner from the flat Pippa and Kate shared in Kate's pre-royal days, and the other is just a five minute walk from Kensington Palace, on Kensington High Street, where Kate and Meghan have both been spotted shopping.
Granger & Co. Located just off Sloane Square and within sight of Kate’s beloved Peter Jones department store, Granger & Co. is the perfect place to start your day of shopping on the King’s Road in Chelsea.
Lunch and Dinner
Bluebird Café. After browsing the shops along the King’s Road, take a much-deserved break at Bluebird, the culinary home of the ‘Sloane Rangers’ and a regular haunt of Kate and Pippa’s when they lived just around the corner on Old Church Street.
Dean Street Townhouse. Located in the heart of Soho and rumored to be the site of Meghan and Harry’s first date, this Soho House-owned restaurant boasts gorgeous interiors and a delicious all-day menu.
The dreamy afternoon tea spread at Claridge's. (Photo by Laura McCallen)
Afternoon Tea
Claridge’s. If you’re going to splurge on one meal during your stay, tea at Claridge’s should absolutely be it. There’s a very good reason it’s rumored to be Her Majesty’s favorite place to dine and that she’s been pictured at the luxurious London hotel so often over the years!
Fortnum and Mason. For a truly royal tea experience head to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon—named in honour of Her Majesty’s visit in 2012, when she formally opened the room in the company of the Duchesses of Cornwall and Cambridge—to take part in Fortnum’s most delicious tradition. On a budget? Fortnum’s newest restaurant—Field, located on the shop’s main floor—offers themed seasonal teas at a fraction of the cost.
EH adds: Based on suggestions from you all, I enjoyed afternoon tea at the Pavilion at Kensington Palace (it’s been moved there while the Orangery is under construction). It’s right next to the new Diana statue, boasting views of KP. Other suggestions for afternoon tea from the SMT community: Sketch (I hear it’s highly Instagrammable!), the Dorchester (extra fancy) or B-Bakery (on a bus, if you’d like to sightsee while drinking your tea).
Quick Bites
Zizzi. With locations in nearly every corner of London, this family-friendly restaurant is the perfect place to grab a bite and refuel during a busy day of royal sights and shopping. Will and Kate are fans and even ordered Zizzi takeaway to the Lindo Wing after the birth of Prince George!
Peggy Porschen Cakes. One could argue that you haven’t really been to London if you haven’t Instagrammed the exterior of Peggy Porschen Cakes in Belgravia, so don’t miss your chance for a stunning pic and pastries worthy of a queen!
The perfectly pink Peggy Porschen Cakes. (Photo by Laura McCallen)
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Royal Spotting
Hoping to see a royal during your visit? Here are the best times of years to visit to increase your chances (EH adds: I have included a few shots from Laura’s Instagram of her royal sightings!):
March: Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
Top tip: if you’re worried about crowds, plan to arrive a half hour after the service starts—everyone comes for the arrivals and leaves once the royals are inside, so you have them almost entirely to yourselves when they emerge at the end of the service!
April: ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day ceremonies at Wellington Arch and Westminster Abbey
The dawn ceremony at Wellington Arch is incredibly moving though not the best light for pictures so you may want to consider the service at WA instead.
May: The Royal Windsor Horse Show
One of the Queen’s favorite events of the year, the Royal Windsor Horse Show is a fantastic day out and a great chance for royal spotting. Keep an eye out for Her Majesty (usually found in the Royal Box in the Castle Arena or in her Range Rover, parked next to the outdoor parade rings) and for the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter, Lady Louise, who are often spotted throughout the four-day event.
June: Trooping the Colour and Royal Ascot
Trooping the Colour: Grab a spot in front of Buckingham Palace or along the Mall to see the royals parade by. The parade starts at 10am so aim to arrive between 8 and 9am to grab a spot along the Mall, or 6 to 7 am if you want to get close enough to Buckingham Palace to see the balcony appearance afterwards.
Royal Ascot: with tickets at a variety of price points a day at the races is accessible to everyone. To see the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, make sure you’re there by 2pm and in a spot where you can see the Royal Procession—in the Parade Ring of the Queen Anne and Royal Enclosures, or along the race track in the Village and Windsor Enclosures.
July: Wimbledon
Tickets can be hard to come by so sign up on the website to get notifications early or take your chances on the day by showing up early to get in The Queue.
August to early September: Royals on summer break
This is your time to see inside Buckingham Palace (because the Queen is on holiday in Scotland) but be aware that royal spotting opportunities will be few and far between during this time as they retreat to their various country estates.
November: Remembrance Sunday
The Queen and other senior royals descend on Whitehall for this military ceremony and though it isn’t open to civilians, there’s opportunity to see Her Majesty leaving Buckingham Palace, Charles and Camilla leaving Clarence House, and Will and Kate leaving Kensington Palace.
December: Christmas Day at Sandringham
If you’re up for the journey out to Sandringham you can get the chance to see the majority of the Royal Family attending the Christmas Day service at the parish church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham.
It’s also worth keeping an eye out for royals in general as you’re out and about in London. I’ve been lucky enough to spot a few myself, including the Duchess of Gloucester shopping for crockery in John Lewis Oxford Street, the Countess of Wessex on the King’s Road in Chelsea (with Zara purchase in hand), Will and Kate’s motorcade on its way to a shared engagement in East London, and Princess Anne leaving a charity dinner at Clarence House.
And remember to keep an eye out as you travel to and from London, especially when flying British Airways—the Royal Family’s preferred airline. I got a wonderful royal surprise when Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank shuffled past me in the aisle on a BA flight to the Maldives in December 2020! (Given the timing it seems likely they were headed off on a babymoon ahead of the arrival of their son, August, in early 2021.)
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My sincere thanks to Laura for her recommendations!
We will be back in your inboxes on Friday with ideas on where to shop, sightsee, and play in London.
Now it’s your turn! Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and add your London suggestions to this newsletter. Extra credit if they have a royal connection. 👑
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(Header photo via Getty Images)