The Saturday Street is our weekly series in which we unlock the stories behind the names of London's famous thoroughfares. It's compiled by London Walks guide Karen – listed by Travel + Leisure magazine as The World's Greatest Tour Guide. You can find Karen on Saturdays guiding her Old Westminster and British Museum walks. If you've got a London street query or suggestion, email Karen at the usual address
The King’s Road
Location: SW1
A simple one, this, plainly named for a King – but which one? The road takes its name from King Charles II, who traveled to Kew via a private road that existed here until the early 19th Century. Mary Quant opened Bazaar at No.138a – widely held to be Britain’s first boutique shop – and King’s Road has been a shopping Mecca for the bright young things of London ever since.
