Kew history

Because Kew was originally a strip of land near the Thames, it got the name “Kew”. Kew is an anglicized version of “queue” meaning “tail” in French. Since Kew was close to Richmond Palace, many aristocrats had their houses there. The village and its green were mainly developed in the 18th century. Sir Henry Capel had a particularly grand house and gardens at Kew, which were bought by the Prince of Wales in the 1730s. He renamed the house Kew Palace. His widow, Princess Augusta, expanded the gardens which are now Kew Gardens - or to give them their full title, The Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew Gardens covers 300 acres. George III, who was nick-named “Farmer George”, had his children drilled in gardening there. George III demolished the palace in order to build a new one but never did. What is now called Kew Palace was in fact a nearby house called the Dutch House where the royal family lived while periodically renovating and destroying the actual palace.