LONDON _ If Marylebone is London's quintessential urban village and Bloomsbury its center of culture, Kensington is the nucleus of regal London _ hence, its designation as the Royal Borough of Kensington.
There has been some sort of royal connection with this elegant area since shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and subsequent monarchs _ most notably Queen Victoria and Prince Albert _ have left their mark here.
The most visible royal symbol is Kensington Palace, today home to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. Located at the western end of Kensington Gardens, the palace draws visitors who tour its public spaces and formal sunken garden before heading to the glass-enclosed Orangery for afternoon tea.
If you plan to visit this year, you can also take in a special exhibition, Diana, Her Fashion Story, which traces the evolution of the late Princess of Wales' fashion style, and features some of her iconic gowns (including the nifty blue velvet number she wore on a visit to the White House).
The palace, however, is only one of the attractions in the 265-acre park, one of eight royal parks in London. It's also the site of the Memorial Playground, created to honor the memory of Diana; the Peter Pan Fountain; the Albert Memorial, and the Serpentine Gallery, a one-time tea pavilion, now a gallery of contemporary art.
Just across from Kensington Gardens is what many consider the greatest concert venue in the world _ the Royal Albert Hall. Its stunning exterior boasts a mosaic frieze depicting "the Triumph of Arts and Sciences," and the interior _ with more than 5,000 seats and enough gold leaf and gilt to make Fort Knox green with envy _ has to be seen to be believed.
I went to Albert Hall for one of the periodic performances of a classic film, which is shown on a mammoth screen suspended above the stage. This time around it was "Titanic Live," in celebration of the blockbuster's 20th anniversary, with the soundtrack performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Similar performances have been staged for the Harry Potter films, "Jurassic Park," and what likely has patrons cringing in their seats, "Jaws."
