As part of the celebrations in 2009 marking the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, Historic Royal Palaces and History Today have partnered to present The Henry VIII talks at Hampton Court Palace, a series of lively public lectures hosted in Henry VIII’s own Great Hall featuring guest speakers from literature, academia and culture, including eminent historians, scholars, curators, historical novelists and directors. Together we explore the man behind the majesty and ask why we are still talking about Henry VIII 500 years later?

The Henry VIII talks take place across seven dates from May to October 2009 - details are below:

Saturday 30 May 7.00 – 8.30pm
Who was Henry VIII?
Henry’s biographers discuss.
Chair: Paul Lay
Featuring: John Guy, Eric Ives, Suzannah Lipscomb, Derek Wilson, Margaret George and Philippa Gregory

Saturday 27 June 7.00 – 8.30pm
How did you keep your head at Henry VIII’s court?
Our speakers discuss the occupational hazards of being a courtier, and how people survived Henry VIII’s wrath.
Chair: Derek Wilson
Featuring: Jessie Childs, Dr Steven Gunn, David Loades, Glenn Richardson, Hilary Mantel and CJ Sansom

Tuesday 14 July 8.00 – 9.30pm
Henry VIII: famous for 500 years
How has the world’s most famous, and infamous, monarch posthumously maintained his celebrity status over half a millennia?
Chair: Eamon Duffy
Featuring: David Starkey

Thursday 6 August and Saturday 8 August 7.00 – 9.00pm
John Heywood’s ‘The Play of the Weather’
RSC Director Greg Thompson directs these two performances of a play originally commissioned and performed for Henry VIII’s court. This is part of a collaborative research project led by Thomas Betteridge of Oxford Brookes University and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council

Thursday 10 September 7.00 – 8.30pm
Henry VIII and the Reformation
How much did religion really feature in Henry’s Reformation?
Chair: Thomas Betteridge
Featuring: Diarmaid MacCulloch

Thursday 15 October 7.00 – 8.30pm
Henry VIII on stage and screen
How have representations of Henry VIII in films and plays shaped our idea of this great monarch?
Chair: Dan Snow
Featuring: Thomas S Freeman, Greg Walker, Greg Thompson and Susan Doran

From 6.15pm on each evening ticket holders are welcome to enjoy a glass of wine at the cash bar in Henry VIII’s Kitchens. Doors open at 6.45pm. The only exception will be 14 July on which the bar will be open from 7.15pm, and the doors will open at 7.45pm.

Tickets for each talk are £22.00 and advance booking is necessary; tickets can be booked online, in person at Hampton Court Palace or by telephone. Call 0844 482 7795 or click here