Kensington Palace, the home of Princess Diana, has been transformed into an "enchanted palace" by designers including Vivienne Westwood and William Tempest.
The palace is undergoing a £12m redevelopment, undertaken by Historic Royal Palaces and expected to be completed by 2012, but in the meantime it will host exhibitions and live performances.
Along with Westwood and Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan have been charged with creating installations using the "incredible and dramatic stories of the people who lived in the palace as the springboard".
Highlights include Queen Victoria's bedroom, the chamber in which she awoke to learn she was queen, which features an avant-garde interpretation by Tempest of a period dress including 2,000 origami birds.
The Room of Royal Sorrows is a dramatisation of the travails of Queen Mary II as she tried in vain a produce an heir. It is set in her bedchamber, giving the display an unsettling authenticity.
"The first time you walk into the room, it has an aura of sadness, but also incredible beauty," said Wilmont. "She tried really hard, but she had many miscarriages. She was a very loved queen, and we wanted to try to capture her spirit."
The sombre tone is set by dozens of antique glass bottles known as "tear catchers". In times of mourning, tears were put in the bottles "to catch the sorrow" even though they would soon evaporate, Wilmont said.
Visitors are given a chance to leave a handwritten note stating the last time they cried.
In the Council Chamber are dresses that belonged to Diana and Princess Margaret – who also lived in the palace.
Westwood's creation is a "dress for a rebellious princess" inspired by King George IV's daughter Princess Charlotte, which is on show in the King's Grand Staircase.
Visitors will also be bombarded by live performances, with actors from the theatre company WildWorks providing interactive theatre.
Those entering the palace will be assigned an "enchanted map" with which to embark on a tour in search of "seven princesses" who once lived there.
"Their search will take them to all the hidden corners of the state apartments and lead them to a glittering finale where they will at last meet the princesses face to face," reads the Enchanted Palace website.
"We really wanted to try something completely different that gave us a way to take a fresh look at the palace's history and the lives of the people who lived here," said Alexandra Kim, one of the curators of the two-year show. "We want people to connect with the emotions."
