Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
Using Heritage Science to Conserve Queen Caroline's State Bed
13 September 2024
Work on Queen Caroline’s much-loved State bed, which we care for on behalf of the Royal Collection Trust, continues at Hampton Court Palace and our attentions are now drawn to protecting the feet of this priceless historic object.
The New Constable of the Tower of London
04 October 2022
General Sir Gordon Messenger became the 161st Constable of the Tower of London in August 2022, succeeding General The Lord Nicholas Houghton. The role of the Constable is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London and dates back to the time of William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest.
The Commonwealth Games and Henry VIII's forgotten cricketing disaster
01 August 2022
Curator Brett Dolman looks briefly into the history of the Commonwealth Games and imagines Henry VIII’s forgotten cricketing disaster at Hampton Court.
Frederick Wright Or Kathleen Woodhouse: A First World War Soldier Who Wished To Live As A Woman
15 February 2022
February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK, which aims to increase the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) people through the exploration of their history and stories. Collections Curator Matthew Story explores one such story.
Catherine Howard: History and the Use of Adjectives
11 February 2022
On the anniversary of the execution of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife and Queen, Collections Curator Brett Dolman investigates how difficult it is to reconstruct and understand her life. Bringing the past alive is part of what historians are expected to do, but how far should we go to tell a good story?
Anthony Salvin: the architect who transformed the Tower of London
16 December 2021
Archivist Tom Drysdale introduces Anthony Salvin, the Victorian architect who began the transformation of the Tower of London, and looks at four drawings that shed a light on his work and legacy.
The Life of Edward Francis: Black history at the Tower of London
15 November 2021
Misha Ewen, Curator of Inclusive History, reflects upon her research on the life of Edward Francis - an enslaved African man who lived at the Tower of London in the late 17th century.
Phillis Wheatley's Visit to the Tower of London in 1773
22 October 2021
Curator Charles Farris explores the incredible life and career of Phillis Wheatley, an important African American poet, who visited the Tower of London in 1773.
Torture at the Tower: The Case of John Gerard
04 October 2021
On the anniversary of the birth of John Gerard, Curator Alden Gregory reflects on the dark history of the Tower of London and how it resonates today.
Templars at the Tower
12 August 2021
Why is Friday 13th thought of as an unlucky date? One possibility is the arrest of the famous Knights Templar on a different Friday 13th, over 700 years ago. Postdoctoral researcher Rory MacLellan writes about this fascinating story of the imprisonment of the Templars at the Tower.