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.
Charles II's Coronation Procession from the Tower of London
24 April 2023
Curator of Historic Buildings, Alden Gregory, takes a look at Charles II's Coronation - the last coronation in which the Tower of London played a starring role.
Wren's Royal Palace
08 March 2023
Head of Historic Buildings Daniel Jackson looks at one of Sir Christopher Wren's most famous and problematic projects: the remodelling of Hampton Court Palace.
Conservation of an 18th century headboard: Secrets of a State Bed
13 March 2020
As part of our Secrets of a State Bed series, Conservator Viola Nicastro explains the process of conserving the headboard of Queen Caroline's State Bed, and reveals more of its secrets.
Mary Frith, The Cross-Dressing Cavalier
28 February 2020
Frith was a 17th-century public figure who caused much controversy and was arrested many times for wearing clothes made for men. In her lifetime it was this masculine attire that saw her labelled as deviant, rather than her alleged prostitution of women and a business that sold stolen goods. Frith was also an ardent royalist. Here, Holly shares a few of the contradictions of Frith’s fascinating personality.
Queer Lives at the Tower: The LGBT+ Stories that were almost on the tours
07 February 2020
Queer Lives at the Tower, our new LGBT+ tours at the Tower of London are just a couple of weeks away, and the team are rehearsing to deliver a bold and new experience. However, there are some stories that didn’t quite make the cut. I’m going to tell you them here, to see what they tell us about how we work with LGBT+ history.
Six mattresses for a Queen: Secrets of a State Bed
30 January 2020
As conservation work continues on Queen Caroline's State bed, Conservator Beatrice Farmer shares discoveries on the lavish silk-covered mattresses, including one that appears to be an impostor. The bed is part of the Royal Collection, and can usually be found on display at Hampton Court Palace.
A discovery on the lining: Secrets of A State Bed
08 January 2020
Queen Caroline's state bed has three upper inner valances. These decorative drapes are attached to the inside the wooden bed frame, to hide the bed frame and give a decorative border to the tester or canopy. They are made from silk damask decorated with silk braid and lined with plain silk. Linings are not usually the most exciting or important part of a textile, but these ones turned out to be far more interesting than we thought.
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.
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.