Membership FAQs

Members enjoy unlimited, free general admission to our palaces during opening hours. Pre-booking a free member ticket is now only required for select palace event days.

Our what's on pages and regular member email newsletters will always explain whether members need to pre-book.

In winter 2025, members should pre-book a free member ticket to visit Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre (05-07 and 12-14 December).

At any other time, you do not need to pre-book a ticket to enjoy your unlimited, free entry as a member. This includes any other general admission visits to Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and our Dress Codes exhibition, and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Simply show your membership card for free general admission.

Please note, only your most recently printed membership card will be accepted. If you don’t have your most recently printed card, please visit the Ticket Office on the day of your visit to obtain a temporary membership card, and email members@hrp.org.uk for a replacement card.

New members can show their confirmation email if the card hasn't yet arrived or visit the Ticket Office to obtain a temporary membership card. Please note, pre-booking is still required for non-general admission events, unless otherwise specified. 

If the date of your visit requires pre-booking, visit the ‘Member login’ section of our website and log in using your email address and password. Please note, if you have a two-person membership, use the lead member's login details. Free or discounted member tickets can only be booked for those included in your membership.

Once you have logged in and selected your ticket(s), please use the same postal address which we have on record for your membership.

If you have recently joined online or at one of our palaces, you should receive an email prompting you to complete setting up your Member login.

If you need to change your free tickets, you can book again at your desired date and time and email us at members@hrp.org.uk to let us know which tickets you need to cancel.

Please see our website for important information about each of our palaces, including accessibility information and opening times:

• Tower of London
• Hampton Court Palace
• Banqueting House
• Kensington Palace
• Kew Palace
• Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

At Our Palaces

Visit any of our ticket offices during opening hours to join as a member and start enjoying your benefits right away.

Online

You can buy your membership here. You'll receive a confirmation email with your Membership ID and QR code; show this to enjoy free entry straight away. 

With the Membership Team

Download our form, complete your information and email it to members@hrp.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can call our team at 0333 320 6000. Our phonelines are open Monday to Friday, from 10.00 to 12.00.  

If you’ve already bought palace entry tickets for the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, or Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, you can put eligible tickets from your order toward an equivalent membership purchase before your visit date, or up to two weeks after your visit date.

For Individual and Family 1 memberships, one adult, concession or young adult ticket can be put towards a membership. For Joint or Family 2 memberships, two adult, concession or young adult tickets can be put towards a membership. 

Child tickets cannot be used towards a membership.

Tickets cannot be put towards upgrading an existing membership to a different membership, towards a gift voucher purchase or towards the renewal of a membership.

Please note, upgrading your tickets makes them invalid.

Online

Visit our website to purchase a membership and follow the steps below:

1. Select your desired membership level and payment method.
2. Click on ‘Already bought tickets?’.
3. Enter you ticket Order ID (beginning DVO, found in your confirmation email or on your paper tickets) in the ‘enter order reference’ box. Click Submit.
4. You’ll be able to select how many eligible tickets to put towards your membership purchase. If you have tickets from two separate orders, you can enter another Order ID.
5. Click Submit.
6. Click ‘Buy Now’ to add to your basket and proceed to payment. Please note, once your tickets have been used for a membership upgrade they will no longer be valid.

Please note, if you’ve made a mistake and need to go back and change your order or restart your purchase, your tickets will be locked for 15 minutes. After this, you can then reapply them to finish your purchase.

At our palaces

Visit our ticket office and our team will be able to put eligible tickets towards your membership.We’ll need the QR code from your tickets, either in your confirmation email or on the physical ticket.

With the Membership Team

Download our form and email to members@hrp.org.uk. We require a photo of tickets bought at our palaces, or the booking reference number (beginning DVO) of tickets booked online. We will not be able to take bank statements as proof of purchase.

• Individual: One named adult (16 or older).
• Joint: Two named adults (16 years or older) living at the same address.
• Family 1 Adult: One named adult (16 years or older) and up to six named children (between 5 and 15) within the family. Children under 5 go free.
• Family 2 Adults: Two named adults (16 years or older) living at the same address, and up to six named children (between 5 and 15) within the family. Children under 5 go free.
• Life Individual: One adult (16 or over) plus one un-named guest.
• Life Joint: Two adults (16 or older) living at the same address, plus two un-named guests.

Only members named on the membership card can enjoy member benefits.

A named adult on a Family membership must be present for any children part of the Family membership to visit.

Memberships are non-transferable. If you wish to change the second named adult on a Joint or Family 2 membership for your next year of membership, please contact the membership team at members@hrp.org.uk ahead of your renewal.

Currently we do not offer a concession category for membership, but concession day tickets can be put towards upgrading to a membership. This includes senior, young person, and £1 tickets.  

If you need to visit the palaces with a carer this can be added to your membership for free after you join. This carer is not named and can be different each time you visit. However, please be aware, your membership does not allow the carer to visit any of the palaces by themselves.

To add a carer to your membership, please contact the membership team by emailing members@hrp.org.uk or visit one of our palace Ticket Offices during opening hours. We will ask to see evidence such as a Blue Badge, PIP/DLA letter, doctor’s letter, or equivalent.

Unfortunately, we are not able to set up memberships by Direct Debit if the bank holder is not named on the membership. 
 
We require that the lead member must be the bank account holder as we need to be able to ensure that the individual paying for the membership is receiving all correspondence regarding any upcoming payments scheduled on their account. 
 
If you would like to buy a membership for some one else, we would recommend purchasing a gift membership voucher. 

Yes, you can pay by card for our standard prices. However, if you have a UK bank account you can save £10 on your first year of membership by Direct Debit.  

If you’ve joined online or at our palaces, you will receive a confirmation email with your Membership ID straight away. If this has not come through to your inbox, please check your spam or junk folder. 
 
If you have emailed your application to our membership team, please be aware that it may take up to 5 working days for us to process your application. Once processed, you will receive a confirmation email with your Membership ID. 

If you join at one of our palaces, you’ll receive your membership card immediately. If you join online or through the Membership team, your membership card will be delivered within 28 days.

• Free and unlimited entry to Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens within opening hours
• 10% discount on admission to Kew Gardens, in which Kew Palace and the Great Pagoda are situated
• Free or discounted entry to a wide range of palace events and exhibitions
• Early booking for special exhibitions and events
• Access to an additional programme of exclusive member-only events
• Exclusive discounts for events and experiences from our partners
• 10% discount in our shops, cafés and restaurants (exclusions apply)
• A free subscription to our members magazine, Inside Story
• Knowing your valuable donation goes towards conserving our palaces for future generations

Simply show your membership card (or for new members, show your confirmation email) in our shops and cafes to enjoy your 10% discount. We will also provide you with a discount code for our online shop in your confirmation email. 

We will keep you up to date via our regular e-newsletters. If you’re not receiving these, please check your junk or spam folder.

You can also visit our website what’s on page and tick the box ‘for members’ to see all upcoming member events. 
 
If you would like to opt-in to receiving our e-newsletters, please contact members@hrp.org.uk. 

As a member you benefit from a 10% discount on admission into Kew Gardens. Once inside, you can visit Kew Palace, Queen Charlotte's Cottage and the Great Pagoda during their seasonal opening hours. 

To pre-book online

1. On kew.org, click ‘Kew Gardens’ at the top of the page. 
2. 2. Click ‘Book Tickets’, then ‘Book your visit’.
3. Choose the date you’d like to visit, select your ticket type and quantity, then click ‘Continue’.
4. Click ‘Checkout’.
5. Click the + icon next to ‘Voucher Code' then enter HRP10 in the box below and click ‘Apply’.
6. Your ticket should then be discounted by 10%.

To purchase tickets in person

You may show your Historic Royal Palaces membership card (or for new members, show your confirmation email) at Kew Gardens’ ticket office to purchase a discounted ticket in person.

Your member-only discount code can be found in your membership welcome email or letter. To be reminded of the code, please contact us providing your membership ID. 

Please note that discounted tickets may only be purchased for those named on the Historic Royal Palaces membership. A valid Historic Royal Palaces membership card must be presented on admission. If you’ve just joined and have not yet received your membership card, please present your confirmation email as proof of membership.

As a member, you will receive Inside Story, our member magazine, three times per year for free. The magazine is published seasonally in spring, summer and autumn. 

We welcome your suggestions and input: please email insidestory@hrp.org.uk with any feedback about the magazine.

Please email members@hrp.org.uk if you need to update your email address or postal address, so we can send important information about your membership to the correct place. 

We may need to update your email address on your record, or change your preferences to ensure you’re receiving information from us regularly. 
 
Please email members@hrp.org.uk with your membership number and we can check this for you. 

Joint and Family 2 Adults memberships must include a named second adult. It is not an open membership and names are non-transferable, so only those named on your membership can enjoy member benefits.  
 
If you would like to change the names of those included, this can be done before your membership renews for another year. Please contact our team at members@hrp.org.uk ahead of your renewal.

If you hold a Family membership, you can list up to six children within your family aged 5 to 15 to visit with you for free. Children under 5 can visit our palaces for free and don't need to be listed, and those aged 16 and over can hold their own membership. 

If you hold an Individual or Joint membership because your child/ren are under 5, you can upgrade to a Family membership and pay the difference if they turn 5 within your membership year. You can upgrade your membership in the Member login. 

If you hold a Family membership including a child aged 15 who will be turning 16 in the next year, they can visit with you for the duration of your current membership. Once your membership is due to renew, they will no longer be included. They can of course purchase their own membership which will enable them to continue to enjoy the many benefits that membership brings. 

If you have recently joined, your card will be delivered within 15 working days. Please note that this will take longer for international delivery. Until then, show your confirmation email for free entry.  If you haven’t received your membership card within 1 month of joining, please email members@hrp.org.uk.

If you’ve lost your membership card, please email members@hrp.org.uk. Please note, if you have a Joint or Family 2 Adults membership, both cards will be reissued automatically. Once reissued, your original cards will not be valid. 
 
If you’re on your way to the palace and have forgotten your card, visit our Ticket Office where they can issue you with a temporary proof of your membership for the day. You must provide your Membership ID and a form of photo ID.

Upgrading

You can upgrade your membership to a higher value membership type at any point during your membership year (for example, from an Individual membership to a Joint membership). The cost to upgrade is the difference in price between the two memberships. 
 
To upgrade your membership online, please follow the following steps:  1. Navigate to the ‘Member Login’ webpage.  
2. Login using your email address and password. 
3. Go to ‘Account’, then ‘Membership’ to find your current membership.  
4. Click on ‘Upgrade membership’. 
5. Select the higher membership level you would like, and follow the steps to pay the difference in price by card. 
 

Your membership will update immediately, and you’ll receive a new confirmation email with a QR code to show for entry to our palaces straight away. Your new membership card will arrive within 15 days. 
 
You can also upgrade your membership at any of our palace ticket offices or by emailing our team at members@hrp.org.uk. 
 

Downgrading 
 
If you would like to ‘downgrade’ your membership, for example from a Joint to an Individual, this can only be processed at the end of your membership year before your membership renews for another term.  
 
Please get in touch with us by emailing members@hrp.org.uk ahead of your renewal to let us know. 

You can also call us on call us on 03330 320 6000.

If you’d like to cancel your membership, we are sorry to see you go.

If you pay by card, your membership will not automatically renew once it expires.

If you have paid for your membership by Direct Debit, please email us at members@hrp.org.uk to request that your membership is cancelled. You are also protected by the Direct Debit guarantee and are entitled to cancel the Direct Debit instruction at any time with your bank.

Please note, if you pay by Direct Debit, your membership will automatically renew annually. We will always write to you to remind you of this payment in advance and of the deadline by which you can cancel your membership.

If your contact details have changed since you’ve joined, please do let us know by emailing members@hrp.org.uk. 

If you didn’t ask to cancel your membership but you’ve received a cancellation email, it’s likely that there is a problem with taking payment. You won’t be able to use your member benefits until you’ve been in touch to ask us to reinstate your membership.

If you joined by Direct Debit, there may be an issue because your bank account name did not match the name of the lead member, you cancelled your Direct Debit Instruction before we’ve taken your first annual payment, or we tried to take payment and were unsuccessful.

Please get in touch at members@hrp.org.uk or on 0333 320 6000. Alternatively, you can buy another membership; please ensure the lead member and bank account holder match, and nothing prevents your first annual payment being collected.

The Membership team are available to support with any questions regarding membership by email at members@hrp.org.uk. Our inbox is monitored Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), 09:00 to 17:00. 

Please note, as we answer every email personally, our current response time is approximately 10 working days. You can also call the Membership team on 0333 320 6000. Our phone line is open Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), from 10:00 to 12:00. 

If you’d like to buy a membership for someone else, please purchase a membership gift voucher on our website.  

Immediately after purchasing this, you’ll receive a voucher code which you can share with the recipient (beginning DVI). They will be able to enter this voucher code as a ‘Promo or voucher code’ when buying a membership on our website at our Ticket Offices.  

Currently our website can only record the details of the person purchasing the gift voucher. 

As the buyer, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the voucher code which you can share with the intended recipient.  

You can redeem your voucher at any point before its expiry date. Vouchers are valid for 12 months after purchase.

Online

You can redeem your gift voucher on our website by purchasing a new membership and entering your voucher code (beginning DVI) in the ‘Promo or voucher code’ box.

At Our Palaces

You can redeem your gift voucher at our palace ticket offices during opening hours to start enjoying your membership straight away. Simply provide your voucher code (beginning DVI) or voucher confirmation email to our team.

You’ll receive a confirmation email immediately after redeeming your voucher code (beginning DVI), to start enjoying your membership straight away.

Please note, if you have received a membership gift voucher for an Individual membership, this code can only be redeemed when buying an Individual membership, and so on with each of our membership types.

If you’d like a different membership of a higher value, you must redeem the gift voucher first and then you will be able to upgrade to your desired membership level. You will simply pay the difference.

If you’ve entered your voucher code (beginning DVI) in the ‘Promo or voucher code’ box and are seeing an error, this may be because your voucher is no longer valid or because you’re using it on the wrong product. Please note, if you have received a membership gift voucher for an Individual membership, this code can only be redeemed when buying an Individual membership, and so on with each of our membership types.

If the voucher you are trying to redeem was purchased before 04 November 2025, it will not have a promo code beginning DVI and will not be redeemable online. Please visit our palace ticket offices or contact members@hrp.org.uk to redeem your voucher.

Online 
 
You can buy your Life membership here and begin enjoying your membership straight away with the confirmation email. 
 
At Our Palaces 
 
Visit any of our ticket offices to join as a member and start enjoying your benefits right away. Please check palace opening times on our website. 
 
With the Membership Team 
 
Download our Life membership form, complete with your information and email it to members@hrp.org.uk. 
 
Alternatively, you can also send to it to us via post to Freepost RTLG-EGXG-ZGBG, Historic Royal Palaces, Apartment 26, Hampton Court Palace, EAST MOLESEY, KT8 9AU. 

Our Life members enjoy all the benefits of annual membership. Additionally, Individual Life members can also visit with one un-named guest, and Joint Life members can visit with two un-named guests. 
 
Please note, membership benefits are subject to change over the course of your Life membership.

Gift Aid is a government scheme which helps charities. Historic Royal Palaces is a self-funding charity, and if you choose to opt-in, the Gift Aid scheme will increase the value of your membership or donation by 25%, at no cost to you or our charity.

For example, if your membership costs £100, we receive an extra £25 from the government. We put this extra funding towards restoring our historic palaces, researching history, and inspiring new generations in special places and it makes a real difference. Once you've opted-in to Gift Aid, we can apply this to any eligible donations you've made in the past four years and in the future, unless you decide to cancel your declaration. 

Gift Aid is not applicable to memberships that have been bought as a gift for someone else. 

No. We claim Gift Aid from HMRC from tax that you have already paid, so there is no cost to you or to our charity. However, if you pay less income tax or capital gains tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations in a tax year (to all charities), it is your responsibility to pay any difference. Ticking the box for Gift Aid does not change your tax status. 

Yes, you can cancel at any time. If you no longer pay sufficient tax and wish to cancel your Gift Aid declaration, please email us at members@hrp.org.uk. 

Annual support from patrons is invaluable in helping to ensure that we can give the palaces the care they deserve. Patrons of Historic Royal Palaces receive a number of exclusive benefits including unrestricted access to the palaces, invitations to openings, newsletters and much more. Find out more about becoming a patron here. 

If you’d like to make an individual donation, thank you. Please give as much, or as little as you like, and don’t forget to tick the box for Gift Aid. There are many projects that represent Historic Royal Palaces’ key principles of Guardianship, Discovery, Showmanship and Independence and these would not have been possible without support from individuals. 

Every legacy is important to Historic Royal Palaces and makes a real difference to our work as a charity, helping us to preserve these special places. You can find out more on our website here. 

If none of the above answer your query, please contact us at members@hrp.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Our inbox is monitored Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), 09:00 to 17:00. 
 
Alternatively, you can telephone as at 0333 320 6000. Our phonelines are open Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), 10:00 to 12:00.