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Stories
The story of Banqueting House
Four hundred years of history and the site of a royal execution
The execution of Charles I
Killing of a 'treasonous' King
The masque
A fabulously extravagant early 17th century court entertainment
The Rubens ceiling
The crowning glory of the Banqueting House
The story of Kensington Palace
An elegant retreat for Britain's royal family
Sir Walter Raleigh
This wild spirit found himself caged at the Tower of London
Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot
Who was the real Guy Fawkes, the man behind the mask?
William III and Mary II
England's only joint sovereigns, who transformed Kensington Palace into a royal residence
The story of Hampton Court Palace
Home of Henry VIII and the Tudor dynasty
What's on
- Things to see
Fountain Court
Designed by Christopher Wren, explore the elegant baroque architecture of Fountain Court.
- Open
- In line with palace opening hours
- Hampton Court Palace
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
The Queen’s State Apartments
Explore the beautiful private rooms at Kensington Palace where Mary II once took her meals, relaxed and entertained.
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Open (closes Monday 15 June 2026 onwards)*
- In line with palace opening hours
- Kensington Palace
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Hampton Court Gardens
Take time to explore and relax in these world-renowned gardens and find our free entry Garden Open Days dates.
- Open
- In line with palace opening hours
- Hampton Court Palace
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
The Undercroft
Explore the vaulted drinking den beneath the Banqueting House, which was used by James I and VI for decadent royal parties.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Banqueting Hall
Experience James I and VI's breathtaking Banqueting Hall, created in 1622 as a venue for extravagant Jacobean entertainments.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Rubens ceiling
Marvel at Sir Peter Paul Rubens' ceiling in its original setting of Inigo Jones' spectacular Banqueting House.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Inigo Jones' architecture
Find out what remains of Whitehall – known as one of the first examples of Palladianism in British architecture.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Charles I’s execution site
Walk in the footsteps of the condemned King and stand on the spot of Charles I's execution, just outside Banqueting House.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
Art and sculpture
See images of James I and VI and Charles I among the important collection of art and sculpture at Banqueting House.
- Banqueting House
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
Discover more
Conserving the Ruben's ceiling
Conserving the Ruben's ceiling
Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection
Containing over 10,000 items, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a Designated collection of national and international importance, cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.
Kings and Queens of England and Britain
See the list of kings and queens who reigned as monarchs of England and Britain from the Normans (1066) through to the Windsors.
The death and succession of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I's death marked the accession of James VI/I to her throne and the emergence of the Stuart dynasty within England. But this was certainly not a foregone conclusion at the time.
George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham
In the ruthless world of the Stuart court, royal favour was everything. No one knew this better than George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, whose rise to power was built on the love and patronage of James I.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part 2
The next step in our search was to look at sources and pictures on William III's life before he arrived in England, and his first court, to attempt to discover more about this young man, and why he might have been painted with the King.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part 1
A young Black man dressed in blue and gold holding a helmet stands beside William III in a portrait that is a focal point of our exhibition: Untold Lives: A Palace at Work. Who was he? Where did he live and when? Why is he in the painting with William III? And how can historians unravel the mystery surrounding him?
Sir Christopher Wren's Hampton Court Palace
Head of Historic Buildings Daniel Jackson looks at one of Sir Christopher Wren's most famous and problematic projects: the remodelling of Hampton Court Palace.
The rise and fall of Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset
Historian Gareth Russell picks up the tale of a scandal that no one had foreseen when the inoffensive Robert Carr arrived at James VI's court.