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MARCH 18, 2016 Established 1873rttimes.co.uk 55p
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‘One is not amused’: Kevin Clay and, below, Queen Victoria
Molesey residents are campaign-
ing against Hampton Court Pal-
ace’s decision to overturn a cen-
turies-old order that will now
permanently close free public ac-
cess to the royal gardens.
As of last weekend, only Historic
Royal Palace members will be able
to access the historic East Front
Gardens, which were previously
free to non-members during the
winter months.
But now residents are outraged
that the palace has decided to end
an order by Queen Victoria that
has been in place since 1838, where
according to the palace’s website,
she ordered it be “thrown open to
all her subjects without restric-
tion”.
The palace had reportedly told
residents that the gardens would
stay open until the end of March,
but were unexpectedly closed on
March 1.
Kevin Clay, 45, of Wolsey Road,
is part of a health and wellbeing
walking group run by Elmbridge
council and Macmillan Cancer that
holds monthly walks in the palace
grounds.
After the group was turned away
from the gates last weekend, Mr
Clay started a change.org cam-
paign on Tuesday against the deci-
sion, which gained more than 650
signatures overnight.
He said: “They’ve decided this
Jessica Pemberton, commenting
on the online petition, said: “I’m
signing because we should all have
the right to the gardens and they
should be open free for all to go and
not just for the select few who can
afford, it’s disgusting! As a local
we put up with many disruptions
from palace events and we should
get something back, my childhood
was spent running round these
gardens, the poor children of the
future who’s parents now won’t
bother if it costs to get in!”
Paul Gray, palace director at His-
toric Royal Palaces, said: “From
2016, we will be asking visitors to
show a valid ticket or membership
card in order to access the Formal
Gardens on the East and South
Fronts, a policy which is already in
operation for most of the year.
“However, the vast majority of
our 800 acre estate will remain free
for local people to enjoy through-
out the year, including Home Park,
the newly-restored Royal Kitchen
Garden, the Wilderness and the
three-mile Barge Walk between
Hampton Court and Kingston
Bridges.
“It almost feels like Tudor
times, like I have to go to the
king himself and he will be
like ‘off with his head.’”
To see the petition, visit
change.org/p/hampton-
court-hrp-org-uk-hamp-
ton-court-palace-gar-
dens-no-to-permanent-
closure-of-free-access-
during-winter.
individual Historic Royal Palaces
membership.
He said: “They’re really rolling
in it. It’s just take, take, take and
never give anything back. At
the end of the day, they’re
still stabbing us in the
back. They’re trying
to do it quietly. We’re
not going down with-
out a fight.
“There’s no need
to do this. It’s just
ridiculous that you
can’t go to your local
palace, it’s absolute-
ly absurd. It’s
got to remain
open.”
Uprising over
palace chargeBy Rachel Dickerson
rachel.dickerson@london.newsquest.co.uk
Outrage as Queen Victoria’s order for free entry to gardens halted
year that this will be the last time.
It’s important to stress, people
need this for their wellbeing. The
grounds have always been open be-
cause for nearly two hundred years
the grounds open during the win-
ter months. The Government is go-
ing on about health, that we’re be-
coming fat. They’re turning away
the fact that people can gain health
and wellbeing from these gardens.
“The palace caused absolute
mayhem with the flower show and
yet they’ve never done anything for
the local community.
Mr Clay also said the palace in-
tends to remove its ‘Garden Only’
tickets, which will force people to
pay upwards of £38 a year for an