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.
Behind the scenes of Mind Behind the Myth with Daniel Regan
19 August 2021
Freelance photographic artist and group facilitator Daniel Regan reflects on his experience on the George III: Mind Behind the Myth project, and shares photographs of the time they spent working together.
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.
Restoring Genius: Grinling Gibbons's Carvings in the Orangery of Kensington Palace
30 July 2021
03 August marks the 300th anniversary of the death of Grinling Gibbons, the greatest woodcarver in British history. Buildings Curator Lee Prosser introduces us to some of his lesser-known but incredibly important works in the Orangery at Kensington Palace.
George III: The Mind Behind the Myth exhibition highlights
14 May 2021
In the George III, The Mind Behind the Myth exhibition, we explore George III’s treatment for his ‘madness’ which took place at Kew, in 1789, 1801 and 1804. We have also included objects which tell us something of his passion and interests, and in so doing we have tried to show something of the real person as well as the ‘madness’.
Caring for the Tower of London through lockdown
11 May 2021
While the Tower of London was closed to the public during the Covid-19 pandemic, much work was underway to protect the fabric of the building and the future of the palace. Assistant Curator Alfred Hawkins reveals one of the important projects that he has been working on behind the scenes.
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.
Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill's last stand off at Kensington Palace
25 February 2021
Holly Marsden, PhD researcher on late-Stuart history, takes us inside Kensington Palace to paint a picture of Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill's final goodbye.
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.
A Queer Walk through Hampton Court Palace
11 February 2021
When you next visit Hampton Court, bring a queer eye to the palace. Shift your perception. Actively look around you. I promise there is a rich history to find.