The Royal Parks of London are lands originally owned by the monarchy of England or the United Kingdom for the recreation of the royal family. With increasing urbanisation of London, some of these were preserved as freely accessible open space and became public parks. There are today eight parks formally described by this name.
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (which are adjacent), Green Park, Regent's Park and St James's Park are the largest green spaces in central London. Bushy Park, Greenwich Park and Richmond Park are in the suburbs.
They are managed by the Royal Parks Agency and are policed by the Royal Parks Constabulary. The main form of funding for the Royal Parks is a central government grant. This contrasts with most of London's other parks, which are funded by local borough councils. The Royal Parks Agency generates additional income from commercial activities such as catering and staging public events such as concerts.
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