Kelly-Kenny was quite a celebrity appearing on cigarette cards commemorating his Boer war successes and marches. He was friendly with several members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur of Connaught and stayed in both Sandringham and Frogmore as a guest of the Prince of Wales on shooting parties. Shooting cards from the Sandringham shoots are in the possession of descendants of the General's heir Thomas O'Gorman, as is a chair made from Elm on the royal estate given to Kelly-Kenny. He was a regular at court and was on friendly terms with Queen Alexandra, who carved a tea table for him herself. He accompanied the French ex- Empress Eugenie on a yachting tour around Ireland in 1909.