The establishment of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh in 1866 is a comparatively recent event in the history of the Khmer and Cambodia.

The seat of Khmer power in the region rested in or near Angkor north of the Great Tonle Sap Lake from 802 AD until the early 15th century.

In 1813, King Ang Chan (1796–1834) constructed Banteay Kev (the 'Crystal Citadel') on the site where the current Royal Palace stands .

After Ang Chan, the capital was at Oudong, about 40 kilometers to the northwest, until in 1866 his nephew, King Norodom, returned to Phnom Penh.

In addition, just outside the palace but part of it, were the Silver Pagoda to the south and the cremation ground to the north, while the park on the eastern side used for royal festivals such as the King's Birthday and the annual boat races.

The Royal Palace of Cambodia is a good example of Khmer architecture featuring its layout of the defensive wall (kampeng), throne hall (preah thineang), Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat) and mural paintings.

The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh covers an area of 174,870 square metres (1,882,300 sq ft) (402m x 435m) The Preah Tineang.Tevea Vinnichay Mohai Moha Prasat or "Throne Hall" (Khmer: ព្រះទីនាំងទេវាវិនិច្ឆ័យមហ័យមហាប្រាសាទ) means the "Sacred Seat of Judgement."

When visiting note the thrones (Reach Balaing in front and Preah Thineang Bossabok higher at the back) and the beautiful ceiling frescoes of the Reamker.

It is covered with intricate floral carvings and has two levels of small statues of Garudas lifting the upper part of the bossabok.

Finally, the bossabok is topped by the white Royal Nine-tiered umbrella (Khmer: ព្រះមហាស្វេតឆ័ត្រ) that signifies the universal power the king has.

The Chan Chhaya Pavilion has a balcony that was used as a platform for viewing parades marching along Sothearos Boulevard of Phnom Penh.

The Napoleon Pavilion is a prefabricated cast iron villa manufactured for King Norodom by the Paris firm of Docros in 1875.

During the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th it was known as the maison de fer, or Iron House; the story identifying it as a gift of the Emperor Napoleon III first appears in 1925 in a history by the former colonial administrator Paul Collard, who based his story that it was built for Napoleon's wife, the Empress Eugenie, to attend the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in November 1869.

South of the vihear stand four structures: from west to east the Chedi (stupa) of H.M. King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak, the Dharmasala, the Chedi of Princess Kantha Bupha and The Phnom Mondop (mount mondop) where the statue of Preah Ko is situated.

Other structures include, Hor Samran Phirun, Hor Samrith Phimean, Damnak Chan, Phochani Pavilion (dance hall), Serey Monkol Pavilion (royal conference hall), King Jayavarman VII Pavilion, Vihear Suor, a royal chapel built as a votive chapel of Wat Vihear Suor, Villa Kantha Bopha, Villa Chumpou, Villa Sahametrei, and some less significant buildings in an area closed to the public.

The palace has various gardens with tropical flowers and plants, such as Allamanda cathartica, Couroupita guianensis and Jatropha integerrima.

In the 1960s at Queen Kossamak's command the Silver Pagoda was rebuilt due to the original aging structure being too weak to stand.