You are at the top of the page

Skip to content or footer

Start of main content

Historic Royal Palaces blog

Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces

Project update: Conserving the Circumcision of Isaac tapestry

23 April 2026

Textile Conservator Alice Young reports on progress and upcoming research to reveal more about this magnificent tapestry.

Elizabeth I: One of England’s Greatest Orators?

07 April 2026

Curator Charles Farris examines some of Elizabeth I's most famous speeches.

Thomas More's imprisonment at the Tower of London 

23 March 2026

Chief Historian Tracy Borman recounts one of the most dramatic falls from favour in the Tudor court. 

How Henry VII used his Welsh ancestry to secure the English Crown

27 February 2026

The Tudors are England's most famous royal dynasty, but their origins begin far from the centres of English power. They begin in rural Wales.

Njinga Mbande and Elizabeth I: two extraordinary queens

23 February 2026

Queen Njinga Mbande and Elizabeth I of England were both highly competent rulers, devoted to their people, and they remain profoundly impactful. But there was one big difference between them.

How did Henry VIII and his family say 'I do'?

09 February 2026

Tracy Borman explores some notable Tudor royal weddings and their traditions, from private nighttime ceremonies to grand celebrations.

The truth behind Elizabeth I and the 'Bisley Boy' myth

12 January 2026

Tracy Borman explores the real story behind the infamous ‘Bisley Boy’ myth – one of the more outlandish theories about Elizabeth I. 

Christmas in the Tudor royal court

22 December 2025

Tracy Borman heads back to the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I for a Christmas like no other.

Famous ghost stories of the Tower of London

24 November 2025

Take a walk through the Tower of London’s shadowy corridors, to uncover the chilling tales of its most famous ghosts and paranormal activity.