Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
Elizabeth I: History's Healthiest Monarch?
15 January 2024
Elizabeth I was top of the Tudor tree when it came to health and fitness. Always a resourceful woman, she chased away ‘melancholy’ with a whole host of entertaining pursuits.
Secrets of Henry VIII's Whitehall: The Archaeology of a Lost Palace
17 August 2023
More than 300 years after the destruction of Whitehall Palace by fire, archaeological excavation and scientific analysis continue to uncover the lost stories and secrets of Henry VIII's once elaborate home.
The Weird and Wonderful Medicines of Henry VIII
12 January 2023
Henry VIII is one of England’s most famous monarchs, but lesser known are his numerous medical problems and the often-extraordinary remedies which he used to treat them.
Elizabeth I’s coronation procession from the Tower of London
17 November 2022
Curator Charles Farris recalls Elizabeth’s dramatic procession from the Tower of London to Westminster the day before her coronation.
The Tragic Story of Lady Katherine Grey
08 November 2022
Chief Curator Tracy Borman takes a look at the life of Katherine Grey, who like her sister, Lady Jane Grey, was imprisoned at the Tower of London.
New Year's Day and the Tudors: A Lesson in Celebrations
17 December 2021
Chief Curator Tracy Borman explains that for the Tudors the party was only just getting started...and she's got a personal reason for agreeing with them.
HRP Handover: Michael Ohajuru on the Black Presence at the Tudor Court
16 October 2020
We’re handing over to historian Michael Ohajuru to discuss the presence of Black people at the Tudor court, including a figure you may have already heard of: John Blanke.
500 years of the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula
19 September 2020
Assistant Curator of Historic Buildings Alfred Hawkins introduces some of the extraordinary stories surrounding the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, the little Tudor church at the heart of the Tower of London.
Whitehall Palace: Anne Boleyn's Favourite Residence
01 June 2016
On 1 June 1533 Anne Boleyn was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey. Anne processed from the Tower of London in a litter of white cloth of gold and wore fur trimmed purple robes on the day she finally became Henry VIII’s queen.