Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
Protecting wildlife and their habitat at Home Park
22 November 2024
Park Ranger Eleanor Evetts explores the importance of nature conservation efforts at Home Park at Hampton Court Palace.
The colourful history of the cornices and corbels: Secrets of a State Bed
06 November 2019
As conservation work continues on Queen Caroline's State bed, Conservator Beatrice Farmer describes the small details and considerations involved in conserving the textile elements of the bed such as the cornices and corbels - from how to remove old patches to finding the best materials and colours to match the original item.
Excavations at the Tower of London's chapel
21 October 2019
Earlier this year, once-in-a-generation excavation works taking place outside the entrance to the Tower's Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula uncovered amazing finds, which shed new light on the history of the Chapel and what life was like for those who lived at the Tower 500 years ago. Historic Buildings Curator Alfred Hawkins explains the process of archaeological excavations.
Hampton Court's worst enemy: how we deal with the mealybug
21 October 2019
At Hampton Court we look after 60 acres of formal gardens and hundreds of thousands of plants, making these mealybug pests some of our worst enemies.
Works of art on paper: a few stories behind the images
01 October 2019
With HRP’s collection of works of art on paper, people usually think that our collection is mostly made up of views of the palaces and fusty portraits of Kings and Queens, and often, that is largely what it is. But the truth about many objects is that even if they are quite mundane in themselves, it is the stories behind the image which makes these items so fascinating.
A Real Royal Visit: Princess Mary at Hillsborough Castle, 1928
20 September 2019
Princess Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, and visited Hillsborough Castle as a royal guest in 1928. Beatrice Meecham from the Curators team explores this important royal visit.
Up close with the finials: Secrets of a State Bed
13 September 2019
Out of the 41 textile components of the state bed, the first to be conserved were the finials. Rosie Chamberlin and Charlotte Gamper, two of our textile conservation team, worked together to conserve the four urn-shaped ornamental features that sit at the corners of the bed tester.
A tour of Kew's Kitchen Garden
10 September 2019
Like Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens, the Kitchen Garden is open seasonally to visitors, from April to October. But work in the garden continues all year round. Let's take a tour...
Displaying Queen Mary II's Exoticks Collection
28 August 2019
You may well have heard of Queen Mary II's Exoticks Collection or seen the plants in the gardens or in the glasshouse nurseries at Hampton Court. If you haven't, here is a brief description so you'll know what to look out for on your next visit.
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha: Monarchy's moderniser
26 August 2019
On the 200th birthday of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Professor John R Davis argues that Albert's influence helped Queen Victoria rescue the British Monarchy.