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 explosive history of the pagoda during World War II
06 June 2023
One of the most surprising periods in the history of the Great Pagoda is its use as a secret testing site during World War II. Curator Polly Putnam picks up the tale of this fascinating discovery.
A Turkish Bath for Horses at Hampton Court
16 June 2022
With eyes on Royal Ascot in June, we wanted to share a lesser-known aspect of Hampton Court’s Equine Past. In the 1860s a Turkish bath was installed at Hampton Court Palace…for the horses! Buildings Curator Alexandra Stevenson explores this curious history.
Royal Wetnurses: the 'Foster Mothers' of the Georgian Nursery
24 March 2022
Ahead of Mother's Day, we share the lesser-known histories of the women employed as wetnurses in the Royal Nursery. Taking on the role of 'foster mother' to young princes and princesses, they often developed a close personal bond with the royal family and received mementos that were passed down in families for generations.
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.
Walter Hungerford and the Buggery Act: LGBTQ+ History and Punishment at the Tower of London
19 February 2021
As part of LGBT History Month, Olivia Martin examines a darker side of the Tower's history. On 28 July 1540, the first execution under the Buggery Act, the first civil law to criminalise homosexual behaviour, happened on Tower Hill.
HRP Handover: Zeinab Badawi on Sarah Forbes Bonetta and "contested history"
22 October 2020
This week, we’ve invited journalist and Historic Royal Palaces Trustee Zeinab Badawi to share her thoughts on the importance of welcoming diverse perspectives on our past, and the problem with the term ‘contested history’.
Conserving a Victorian Child's Dress Worn for a Wedding
18 May 2018
A new addition to our Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, this velvet and silk child’s dress was worn to celebrate the wedding of the future Edward VII; Prince Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Princess Alexandra of Denmark on 10 March 1863.
Leonora Cohen's Suffrage protest at the Tower of London
01 February 2016
Walking to the Tower of London from the underground station with an iron bar hidden beneath her coat, the Suffragette Leonora Cohen gained access to the Crown Jewels with a plan to protest.