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 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.
HRP Handover: Luke Pepera on a story of two kings
27 October 2020
Luke Pepera compares the lives of two kings, both of whom ruled their kingdoms in the first half of the 16th century. If you’ve ever visited Hampton Court Palace you’ll have definitely heard of one of them, but the other might be new to you…
HRP Handover: Michael Ohajuru on the Black Presence at the Tudor Court
16 October 2020
We’re handing over to historian Michael Ohajuru to discuss the presence of Black people at the Tudor court, including a figure you may have already heard of: John Blanke.
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.
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.
Herbs through history: from the Tudors to today
29 July 2019
Central to the Kitchen Garden at Hampton Court is its collection of herbs, and they are looking at their best in the summer. While many of them are familiar, some unusual ones have had some fascinating uses throughout history.
Unearthing two early Tudor buildings at Hampton Court Palace
15 March 2019
In 2017, two early Tudor buildings were unexpectedly discovered in a small trench excavated during conservation works on a set of historic railings. The bricks used were dated to Cardinal Wolsey's building phase, (1515-1529), or possibly even slightly earlier.
Happy Birthday Henry VIII
28 June 2018
On 28 June 2018, Henry VIII will celebrate his 527th birthday. From wherever he is watching. Our most famous Tudor monarch would no doubt have expected a decent seat in Heaven: most early modern rulers tended to believe they had a divinely sanctioned right to rule as they pleased, and Henry was a king who appointed himself as Supreme Head of the English Church.