Talks And Lectures

The Byward Tower at the Tower of London holds some of the oldest surviving treasures of the fortress, including a unique medieval masterpiece – the wall painting known as the Byward Angel.  In this episode of A Space I Love, enter past the Tower’s formidable defenses, and follow Curator Alfred Hawkins on an exclusive tour of this remarkable space, which is usually closed to visitors.  Explore the Byward Angel at the Tower of London — Google Arts & Culture  Find out more about the Tower of London’s Story 

George III’s Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens is the tallest building Historic Royal Palaces looks after. With its Chinese-inspired design and fierce dragons, it is an eye-catching example of the Georgian fascination with architecture from around the world.  Welcome back to the new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened.  Join curator Lee Prosser on a dizzying climb to the top, and uncover the secrets that informed the restoration of this unique historic building.  Learn more about George III. Visit the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. 

Step inside the Drawing Room of the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland. Inspired by the Queen Mother, full of contemporary art, and surprisingly cozy, this is a room unlike any other across our palaces. Welcome to a new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened. In this first episode, Castle Host Carol McMullan takes us on an intimate tour of a place where state and family life have merged for generations of the royals, and where the history of Northern Ireland has been shaped by momentous negotiations. Discover more about Hillsborough Castle Gardens on our website.

The Private Tudor Gardens of Hampton Court were lost when they were replaced by later additions. Yet small glimpses remain to us of these Privy Gardens, revealing an intriguing snapshot into the private lives of the Tudor monarchs and the people who worked for them.   Alexandra Stevenson is Curator of Archaeology and Historic Buildings. She shares with us her latest research exploring Elizabeth I’s garden sanctuary - where herbs were grown, sweet-smelling waters were distilled, and where the Tudor queen may have bathed and relaxed away from the eyes of the court.   Travel back to the Lost Tudor Gardens at Hampton Court and see the Wijngaerde Panorama of the Gardens from 1558.  

Hans Holbein’s Tudor masterpiece known as the Ambassadors was painted in 1533, the year when Henry VIII changed the course of history. Religious turmoil sweeps through Europe and Anne Boleyn is Queen of England.     Two Ambassadors choose to capture this pivotal moment of religious and political upheaval, but who were they and what did they want this painting to convey?   In today’s episode we join Tracy Borman, Chief Historian, as she explores the painting known as The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein.   You can view The Ambassadors in high resolution here.  Thank you to the National Gallery for letting us record in front of the painting. 

The Gardens of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are the perfect place to walk and enjoy the sounds and feelings of being in nature.  So for today’s episode, we’re collaborating with sound artist and musician Alice Boyd, who is going to lead us into these tranquil gardens to meet Claire Woods who is Head Gardener at Hillsborough Castle.   We want you to be immersed by this episode, so take a moment to focus in on the lovely sounds and enjoy an escape to the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle.   Find out more about the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle. 

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, yet the stories of this community have often been obscured or misunderstood.   When we explore queer histories, we gain a much fuller picture of societies in the past, from when our palaces were first built, right on through to their more recent history.     In this week’s episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Assistant Research Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam, to discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and how best to understand them in their historic context.    A transcript of this episode is available on the Historic Royal Palaces website.    Explore more LGBTQ+ histories from our palaces on our website.  Read Matthew’s article about Kathleen Woodhouse.   Read Molly McClain's article on Stuart women.  Find Kit Heyam’s books on their website.   In this episode we use a range of different gender pronouns to discuss historical people, including those used in the original sources and those used by hi

There are two Queens Consort particularly connected to the history of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London; Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile.   Although less famous than other queens, these women are emblematic of how medieval queenship could perform and embody power in the 13th century. To find out more, Curator Charles Farris is joined by Professor Louise Wilkinson.    Today marks the third and final episode in a mini-series to celebrate the reopening of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London.    Read more about the life of Eleanor of Provence.

The history of the Jewish community in Medieval England is complex and fascinating, but it hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves when it comes to our understanding of the Tower of London.  In this bonus episode as part of our mini-series, curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Rory MacLellan and Professor Miri Rubin to discuss how the Jewish community interacted with the Crown and the Tower of London during the Middle Ages.   This episode is a re-release of the episode on the same topic from 2023, to add context to our reopening of the Medieval Palace.  Read more about the Jewish community and the Tower of London. Jewish Medieval History at the Tower | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces  Rory's research can be found on our website. The Jewish History of the Medieval Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces  Visit the medieval palace. Medieval Palace | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces     Content warnings:   This episode discusses prejudice against Jewish people, incl

The Medieval Palace at the Tower of London formed a significant part of the Tower’s large-scale expansion in the 13th Century, turning the castle into a strong defensive fortress.    In this episode, Curator Charles Farris explores the Medieval Palace that survives today, to find out what place the Tower held in medieval society. How was it used by the kings and queens who lived here, and what can it reveal about the communities who worked within its walls?   Explore the Tower of London’s Medieval Palace.

In this new three-part series Curator Charles Farris will be exploring what the Tower of London was like in the medieval times.   We’ll step into the Medieval Palace, walking in the footsteps of the kings, queens, and communities who built these walls.   In the 13th century, the Tower was expanded into the fortress we recognise today, but what can we learn from it, and how was it used by the people who lived and worked in its shadow?   Join us next Thursday for our first episode on the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London. 

When the Mary Rose was raised in the 1980s, she brought to light a treasure trove of objects that can reveal so much about life in Tudor England and beyond.     In this second episode of our two-part series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is shown the preciously conserved history of the Mary Rose by Dr Alex Hildred, Head of Research at the musuem.    Find out more about visiting and supporting the Mary Rose Museum, and discover the largest collection of Tudor objects in the world. 

The story of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship, is one that is closely connected to the reign of the iconic Tudor monarch, but it is the history of her demise that remains a mystery to this day.  When she sank in 1545, she lost almost her entire crew, but this tragedy would preserve for posterity a remarkable time capsule of Tudor England and beyond.   In this first episode of our mini-series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman takes us on a trip to the Mary Rose Museum to meet Head of Research Dr Alex Hildred. Together they will explore the life of the Mary Rose. Visit the Mary Rose Museum and discover the largest collection of Tudor objects in the world.  Visit the Tudor World Exhibition at Hampton Court, and see the oldest rooms of the Tudor palace, once lived in by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. 

Dress codes can tell us so much about historic court fashion and the rules and regulations of royal clothing. But they can also relate to the way we think about, and express who we are today, as much as in the past. To celebrate the opening of our new exhibition at Kensington Palace, Caterina Berni speaks to Curator Matthew Story and bespoke period tailor Zack Pinsent of Pinsent Tailoring; to explore the Dress Codes we follow every single day. Decode the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection in our Dress Codes exhibition at Kensington Palace. See the Royal Wardrobe and items from the exhibition up close in our online collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. See the garments discussed in this episode: 18th century court suit with silver thread 1920s Court Dress Vivienne Westwood’s Investiture dress Mourning Dress with white and mauve flowers. Japanese Diplomatic Court Suit Gold Wedding Dress Duke of Windsor’s Tartan suit Fancy Dress gown worn gown worn to Queen Victoria’s costume ball

Matilda of Flanders is the formidable consort of William the Conqueror, yet she is relatively unknown in the story of the 1066 conquest of England.    Chief Historian Tracy Borman makes her pitch for the pivotal role Matilda played as a champion for female sovereignty, and for her contribution to arguably the most successful dynasty in medieval Europe, the Normans.     Read more about Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror at the building of the Tower of London. 

We're all familiar with the iconic queens who have lived at the palaces, but what about the women who haven't made it into the history books? What are their stories, and what are some of the obstacles to studying women's history?  In this episode, Chief Historian Tracy Borman celebrates International Women's Day by asking four of our curators and researchers to tell us about their favourite lesser-known women from our palaces. Perhaps we can even learn something from them today... To take part in our survey and be in for a chance to win a £100 voucher, visit:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HRPPodcastSurvey/     Please be aware this episode contains themes of sexism, racism, and violence against women that some listeners may find distressing.   

Understanding the love life of James VI & I can give us a better picture of the man himself in his entirety, and not simply through the lens of his kingship, or the politics of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.   So in this episode, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is once again in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace, joined by Gareth Russell to discuss the subject of his latest book 'Queen James; the life and loves of Britain's first King'.     To take part in our survey and be in for a chance to win a £100 voucher, visit:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HRPPodcastSurvey/       Please be aware this episode contains themes of homophobia, grooming, and child abuse, that some listeners may find distressing.  

The Tower of London is almost synonymous with the idea of torture, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. When we think of this iconic historic site, the history of violence is one of the first things to come to mind, yet to what extent is this a fabrication of history? In this episode, Dr Catherine Jenkinson from the University of Oxford talks us through one of the latest research projects at Historic Royal Palaces, the question of how the history of torture is, and should be told at the Tower of London.  To take part in our survey and be in for a chance to win a £100 voucher, visit here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HRPPodcastSurvey/ 

In this mini-series on new research at our palaces, PhD student Ellis Huddart joins Lucy Worsley to explore the history of the Royal Yacht. Ellis’ PhD hopes to examine how Royal Yachts existed as places outside of the usual rules and conventions of both royal palaces and royalty. They can therefore reveal a lot about the material culture of British Imperialism in the Victorian era, and the changing image of royalty. This episode is part of a mini-series about new research at our palaces. Explore more about research at Historic Royal Palaces.

In this mini-series on new research at our palaces, PhD student Gabrielle Fields joins Lucy Worsley to explore the life of Queen Victoria through the books she read.   Gabrielle’s PhD introduces a new lens through which to examine Queen Victoria through her reading materials. It ultimately aims to reveal Queen Victoria’s efforts to educate herself politically, her attempts at self-improvement, and crucially the way she chose to present herself to the  world.    This episode is part of a mini-series about new research at our palaces.  Read more about Queen Victoria's early biography.