Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
The History of the Birthday Parade and other Royal Birthday Celebrations
20 June 2025
Jemima Hubberstey, Research Officer at Historic Royal Palaces, explores the history of royal birthday traditions.
The Extravagant Funeral of Henry VIII
16 February 2024
Curator of Historic Buildings Alden Gregory explores the elaborate hearse created to mark Henry VIII’s death, and how it links to the King’s use of temporary architecture during his life.
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.
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.
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?
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.
The Islamic World and Tudor England: ambassadors, rhubarb and sugar
05 May 2021
With over 3 million British Muslims currently celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, it’s a fitting time to explore how the Elizabethan and Jacobean court encountered the Islamic world. Misha Ewen is our new Curator of Inclusive History at Historic Royal Palaces and in her first blog she shares what she has been working on.
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.