About the 'Treason: A Global History' Project
Historic Royal Palaces is the project partner on the AHRC-funded network project, ‘Treason: A Global History’, led by Professor Mark Cornwall (University of Southampton) and Dr André Krischer (University of Freiburg). Bringing together historians, legal experts, social scientists, and heritage practitioners, the project combines a range of interdisciplinary and international perspectives to examine how treason has been defined and understood across history and around the world.
The Tower of London, with strong associations of treason, is a pertinent case study in this project. For centuries, it has been a space where accused traitors were traditionally imprisoned and sometimes executed. Famous examples include Anne Boleyn (1536), John Gerard (1597), Algernon Sidney (1683), Lord Lovat (1747), and Roger Casement (1916). The Tower, as a fortification and weapons store, was also at times a focus for ‘traitors’ who were seeking to seize power in London.
In spring 2026, the partnership will conclude with a hybrid conference at the Tower of London about ‘The Impact and Heritage of Treason’.
Image: The Last Moments of Lady Jane Grey, by H.J. Scholten. © Historic Royal Palaces, Image by Google.
Image: The Beheading of the Rebel Lords on Great Tower Hill, (c1746). © Historic Royal Palaces
More about the project
Project team
Principal Investigator: Professor Mark Cornwall
Co-Investigator: Dr Andre Krischer
Project Partner: Historic Royal Palaces (led by Dr Alden Gregory)
Website
Funding
This project is funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
