The re-opening of Kew Palace in London offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of 'Mad' King George and his family, writes NICOLA LISLE

Kew Palace opened at the end of April for the first time in a decade, following a £6.6m restoration. Visitors can now see the palace as it would have looked in the early 19th century, when it was the favourite home of George III.

This was the "mad" king's country retreat and it was here that he hid away from public scrutiny during his bouts of mental illness, now thought to have been porphyria.

The palace was built in 1631 for Samuel Fortrey, a Flemish merchant, and is all that remains of a group of buildings that spread from Kew to Richmond. When George III married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz in 1761, the couple moved into Richmond Lodge, while George's mother, Augusta, lived at the nearby White House.

But Kew Palace played an increasingly pivotal role in royal domestic life, and various members of the family lived there for short periods for over 30 years.

Two significant events took place at Kew in the early 19th century. In July 1818, Queen Charlotte arranged a marriage ceremony for two of her sons: the Duke of Clarence, who married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and the Duke of Kent, who married Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg. The latter became the parents of Queen Victoria.

Four months after this double wedding, Queen Charlotte died in her bedchamber at Kew. You can now see the chair in which she is believed to have died, surrounded by three of her children. The king died 14 months later at Windsor, and was so ill that he was unaware of his wife's death. Kew Palace ceased to function as a royal residence, and much of the land was transferred to the Office of Woods and Forests.

The palace was first opened to the public by Queen Victoria in 1898. But it is only now, more than 200 years after King George and Queen Charlotte took up residence, that the building has been returned to its Georgian splendour. Extensive archaeological and archival research has enabled the recreation of the interior dcor, including fitted carpets a new trend at the turn of the 19th century bright green verditer wallpaper and lavish furnishings in rich golds, reds and blacks.

Audio and visual presentations give a glimpse into life at the royal palace, along with a fascinating collection of artefacts.

An 18th-century harpsichord is testament to the king's love of music. Both he and the Queen played several instruments, and often held recitals at the palace.

Pride of place in the king's Breakfast Room is given to a wooden baby house from 1780, which belonged to the young princesses. Its dcor and furnishings reflect those of the palace itself, and, according to curator Suzanne Groom, "is the closest thing we've got to knowing what Kew was like". Elsewhere, a silk waistcoat with unidentifiable stains bears sad witness to the king's final illness, while a wax model of his head gives visitors a striking image of the real George III.

But the real discovery of the newly-restored palace is the second floor, once occupied by two of the king's daughters, Princesses Augusta and Amelia, and never before opened to the public. Fragments of original paintwork, wallpaper and fabrics have been left as they were found, and are a poignant relic of an existence that the two princesses compared to living in a nunnery.

Kew Palace is open until September 30, Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am-6pm. Admission: Adults £5, concessions from £3.50. A ticket to Kew Gardens is necessary for access. For details call 0870 751 5179 or visit www.hrp.org.uk Also available is Kew Palace: The Official Illustrated History by palace curators Suzanne Groom and Lee Prosser (Merrell Publishers).