A Right Royal 48 Hours in London

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Whether you’re a ‘modern Sussex’ or ‘classic Cambridge’ kind of family, there’s plenty to amuse your royal troupe in London. Using the plush, family-friendly Conrad St James as your base, here’s how to spend two days fit for a Duke and Duchess in the UK’s capital city.

Morning

Celeb-favoured Notting Hill, with its pastel-pretty Georgian mews and pedestrian-friendly village vibe, makes for a great way to kickstart your day with the family. Positively teeming with Brit and European designers, you could easily lose a few hours here, or, just skip straight to the good stuff…

Add a little Markle sparkle to your wardrobe with a gander at multi-label glamporium Matches Fashion, then cross the road for button-cute, Brit-spun kid and babe clobber at Caramel, from Liberty-print rompers with broderie anglaise to stonewash canvas plimsolls perfect for summer.

Keep temper tantrums at bay with a swift hot chocolate treat at Melt, after which, if you’re in the area on a Saturday, perennial hot spot Portobello Market can be fun for older kids and teens who are into rummaging vintage fashion and vinyl (Friday’s are good for antique hunters).

Shopping makes for hungry work – get your name on the lunch waitlist at all-day deli Daylesford. Having browsed its shopfront brimming with luxury own-brand larder goodies, settle into the airy cafe for seasonal organic plates and salads. Alternatively, beeline for the aptly named Windsor Castle pub and let the sprogs run riot in the garden, while mummy and daddy have a couple of Aperols, natch.

Afternoon

Now, hop on the Circle Line to the museum magic of South Kensington, where both the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum will have the whole clan agog. The former is host to the smash-hit showcase Wildlife Photographer of the Year (until 30 Jun, 2019) but with timed entry and hot-cake ticket sales, you’ll need to have booked your spot well in advance.

After the hubbub of the museums, you can take refuge in the Chelsea Physic Garden, but a 5-minute cab ride away in Harry and Will’s old stomping ground. This idyllic walled garden offers guided jaunts through various manicured medicinal and floral plots. Tots go free.

Evening

Deposit the kids in your pad at the Conrad London St James, where complimentary toys and candies will keep them entertained and a babysitting service (upon request) will gift you some much-needed adult-only time. Soho, in the West End, is still very much the place to be in central London, and oft-frequented by the young royals, so off you pop in a cab to quintessentially British dining salon Quo Vadis. Finish in spectacular style atop The Trafalgar St James with a cheeky gin-doused Gunpowder Plot cocktail on the view-toting Rooftop. Bottoms up!

Morning

Now, as hard as it might be to leave your Conrad St James suite, stretch out those pins with an early morning stroll (or saddle up with a Santander Cycle) through a trio of London’s Royal Parks – St James’s Park, Green Park and Hyde Park – just a stone’s throw from the Conrad London St James. Canter past Buckingham Palace, the Diana Memorial and the Serpentine Gallery to your next destination: Kensington Palace. Home to Wills and Kate, this C.17th estate offers a peaceful and refined alternative to the busier Buckingham Palace, as well as regular exhibitions spotlighting art, fashion and jewellery.

Afternoon

London is best appreciated from the lofty heights of a double-decker, and you can navigate like a local on the scenic no.9 bus. Hop on opposite the Royal Albert Hall and alight at the majestic Waldorf Hilton where an Afternoon Tea of freshly cut sandwiches, warm scones, sweet treats, speciality teas, and free-flow Champers awaits with a piano and harp accompaniment.

You’re right next to bustling Covent Garden and Drury Lane, the heart of Theatreland, should you want to catch an afternoon musical matinee. If not, simply wander over to the historic Covent Garden Piazza, home to the iron-girdled market hall, The London Transport Museum and a whole host of retail draws.

Evening

End your day with an illustrious family feast at sky-high aerie Galvin at Windows, boasting showstopper sunset views across Hyde Park, haute French morsels for grown-ups, and a fussy eater-friendly kid’s menu (think chicken goujons, mini Sunday roast, seasonal veg).

This content has been created in collaboration with LUXE City Guides
Image credit: Isis Louw @thesmartfashionistas

Simply click here to win a 2-night stay in a suite at the Conrad London St James complete with breakfast and themed Afternoon Tea. Better still you get to enjoy a tour of Royal London courtesy of Travel Curious.