Embroil yourself in one of our exciting and creative half term activities that the whole family can enjoy. Why not visit the Royal Beasts exhibition at the Tower of London and learn about the wild and exotic creatures that lived for over 600 years in the Royal Menagerie. Witness horsemanship and falconry at Hampton Court Palace as Henry VIII attempts to impress his demanding new wife Anne Boleyn!

Best of all you can enjoy all of our half-term events for free with HRP family membership from as little as £56! With so much history to explore spend a day, the weekend or more at the palaces!

EXHIBITIONS

NEW
Royal Beasts (in partnership with the Royal Armouries)
Tower of London
Opens 28 May (Press preview 25 May 2010, 09.00-13.00 )
This May the unusual and intriguing story of the Tower of London’s imperial Royal Menagerie will be brought to life. Royal Beasts explores the history, spectacle and tragedy of the Tower menagerie. Founded during the reign of King John in the early 1200s, it became a regular feature of the Tower for over 600 years!

The new exhibition will be an opportunity for visitors to encounter a diverse cast of former Tower residents through arresting modern animal sculpture by artist Kendra Haste and new interactive sensory displays. The recently restored north wall walk and the never before opened Brick Tower will host some of the displays, including sights, sounds and smells of some of the animals!

NEW
Power House (in partnership with the Royal Armouries)
Tower of London     
Opens 2 April (Press preview 25 May 2010, 09.00-13.00)
Discover the stories and personalities behind the major organisations of state, who took care of Royal business behind the mighty Tower walls, from 1100 to the present day, in a new permanent exhibition opening on the top floor of the White Tower.

The exhibition will showcase the roles of the major organisations that provided the bedrock of England’s power throughout the centuries. Great institutions include the Ordnance Office, Ordnance Survey, the Royal Mint, Record Office, the Jewel House, Menagerie and Royal Observatory. Power House will also put the spotlight on other Tower of London functions, ranging from royal residence to state prison.

The Enchanted Palace
Kensington Palace
Daily until 3 Jan 2012
Kensington Palace, former home to some of Britain’s best known royals including Queen Victoria and Diana, Princess of Wales, is currently transformed into the Enchanted Palace. An interactive visitor experience combining contemporary art installations, fashion, and live performance, it is an innovative response to a £12 million major renovation project currently underway at the palace.

The experience features stunning displays of courtly costume created by leading British designers Vivienne Westwood, Paul Costelloe, Bruce Oldfield, Zandra Rhodes, and Boudicca. Whilst visitors journey through the historic State Apartments, they discover the stories of Kensington’s seven princesses who once lived there. Dresses that once belonged to and were worn by Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales are also displayed alongside the fashion installations.

From May 2011 (to January 2012), the Enchanted Palace will once again evolve to include installations from new collaborators. Details to be announced soon.

Caricatures of King George III
Kew Palace
Daily until 25 September 2011
Kew Palace, once home to George III and his family, opens its doors for the 2011 season! The tiny royal palace in the heart of Kew Gardens will welcome visitors coming to discover its secrets and stories and uncover more about Britain’s longest reigning male monarch.

Among the many items relating to George and his family on display at the palace we will be showcasing, especially for the 2011 season, an exhibition of caricatures depicting the King and his family in various topical situations of the period.  Among them caricatures from the artist James Gillray who ensured the phenomena of this form of satire was well fed throughout the late 18th century.

Fit for a King (in partnership with the Royal Armouries)
Tower of London
Daily
Discover 500 years of spectacular arms and armour worn by kings and royal princes in this stunning exhibition in the White Tower. Learn about the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings, from the Tudors, and the notorious Henry VIII, to today’s royal family.

FREE iPhone and iPod Touch app
Escape from the Tower app
Tower of London
Meet the prisoners (virtually of course!)
Bring your iPhone or iPod Touch to the Tower and you can help the virtual prisoners escape from the real locations they were held!

Can you help four worthy prisoners escape from the infamous Tower of London be re-enacting their real-life events?

Play Escape from the Tower, our exciting new free app for iPhone and iPod Touch, and re-enact some of the Tower’s most famous escapes during your visit.

Players who complete all four missions can register their score and will be eligible for entry into a prize draw to win free entry to all the palaces!

Escape from the Tower app is free and available for download on iPhone and iPod Touch only                                                                                           
The app can be downloaded at home or on site at the Tower wi-fi hotspot in front of the Tower shop at the main gate.

EVENTS

A soldier’s experience
Tower of London
22 April – 31 October (Weekend and Bank Holidays, excluding 1-2 October)
Sergeant Gowing of the Royal Fusiliers describes his recent experiences in the Crimean War

The Great Exhibition
Enchanted Palace, Kensington Palace
28 May – 5 June
11.00-16.00
This May half-term, come and find out about some of the weird and wonderful inventions of this amazing spectacle. Design and draw your own mind-boggling inventions, make spinning thaumatropes and zoetropes and create other inspired crafts. 

The Great Exhibition of the ‘works of industry of all nations’ was opened on May 1st 1851 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The great Crystal Palace was originally only a stone’s throw away from Kensington Palace across the other side of the park. Prince Albert was passionate about new technologies, inventions, history and culture and he helped plan the exhibition. Almost 14,000 people displayed over 100,000 exhibits; works of art, textiles and clothing, furniture, ornaments, inventions and machinery.

Recommended age 5 - 13 years

Royal Beasts
28 May – 5 June
11.00-16.00
Join us in various locations around the site to learn more about the Tower’s role as a Menagerie.  Take part in beastly craft activities such as animal badge making and mask making, and create your own souvenir to take home.

There will be a puppet storytelling session at various times throughout the day, followed by the chance for young visitors to make their own animal finger puppets.

Families will also be able to pick up our new Royal Beasts trail from the Welcome Centre. Follow the trail to embark on an animal hunt, learn fun and frightening facts and imagine what life must have been like for the resident royal beasts.

Children at the Palace
Hampton Court Palace
28 May – 5 June
Find out how children lived and worked at the palace. Experience the Tudor court from their perspective. Take part in the arts and crafts activities over half term week.

 
The Lion and the Falcon
Hampton Court Palace
28-30 May
Henry VIII and his new Queen, Anne Boleyn set out to enjoy themselves as Hampton Court is transformed into a royal pleasure palace.
He dreams of extravagant additions and intends to make full use of the extensive parklands.
Displays of falconry and horsemanship delight the court as horses and hounds are prepared for the great hunt.
But will even this satisfy the whims of his demanding new wife, Anne Boleyn?

Raree show (with Royal Beasts!)
Tower of London
28-30 May
The menagerie 1250-1850
Be introduced to the wonders of nature, the bizarre, the incredible and the frankly unbelievable, as the ‘raries’ and the ‘Curiosities’ of the Tower throughout the ages are revealed as you’ve never seen them before! The true stories of the royal beasts in the style of a 19th century ‘Raree Show’, interspersed with Tower life and prisoners

Royal Beasts
Kendra Haste, Artist                                                                                                          Sally Dixon-Smith, HRP Collections Curator                                 
Tower of London
28 May 14.00-16.00
The royal menagerie is one of the most curious, but least known stories of the Tower. The seeds of the menagerie were sown in the gifting of animals to the monarchy which began in the 13th century, but over the centuries expanded significantly and would eventually leave the Tower in the early 19th century destined for London Zoo!

Join us in this afternoon school to celebrate the opening of Historic Royal Palaces’ new exhibition, ‘Royal Beasts’, which tells the story of the Tower menagerie. Sally Dixon-Smith will provide an overview of this often overlooked side of the mighty fortress and acclaimed animal sculptor Kendra Haste will discuss the 13 commissioned sculptures she has created for the exhibition.

Tickets £20/£18 HRP members. To book tickets call 0844 482 7799 or online at http://www.hrp.org.uk/
This event includes refreshments and entry to the Tower of London

Foodies Festival with Top Chefs
Hampton Court Green
28 May 10.00-18.00, 29 May 11.00-18.00, 30 May 11.00-17.00
Foodies Festivals will inspire thousands of food-lovers across the UK this summer. Visitors will experience, celebrate and learn about the finest food, drink and culinary talent. The three-day events are held in exclusive and beautiful settings and will showcase a wealth of fine food and drink from the region.

Visitors can watch Michelin-starred and top TV chefs creating signature dishes live; take part in food and drink masterclasses with plenty of tastings; sample and buy local seasonal produce and speciality food and drink; try signature dishes from favourite restaurants, and seasonal cocktails from top bars whilst enjoying a line up of live music entertainment.

Tickets £15/£10 concessions. To book tickets call 0871 230 5573

 
Raree show (with Royal Beasts!)
Tower of London
31 May – 24 July
The menagerie 1250-1850
Be introduced to the wonders of nature, the bizarre, the incredible and the frankly unbelievable, as the ‘raries’ and the ‘Curiosities’ of the Tower throughout the ages are revealed as you’ve never seen them before! The true stories of the royal beasts in the style of a 19th century ‘Raree Show’, interspersed with Tower life and prisoners.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE TOURS
From 2 June (see website for details)

Verrio tours
Exclusive early morning access to view the works of Antonio Verrio in Christopher Wren’s baroque palace.

Tickets £35, tours start at 09.00 and include tickets
to the palace and coffee and pastries in William II’s
Banqueting House.

Rooftop tours
See Hampton Court Palace as you’ve never seen it before, up amongst the chimneys looking down on the courtyards.

Tickets £35, tours start at 11.00.

Chimney pots and glower pots tours
See the spectacular palace gardens and parkland from the palace rooftops.

Tickets £50, tours start at 10.00 and include cream tea
and day visit to Palace.