Explore the palaces with the kids this February half-term!

19-27 February 2011

Press release

Embroil yourself in one of our exciting and creative half term activities that the whole family can enjoy Learn about the stories behind some of our magnificent paintings at Hampton Court Palace and be entertained by the King’s jesters’ and fools’ or visit Kensington Palace and create your own cabinet of curiosities and decorate an enchanted mask

Best of all you can enjoy all of our half-term events for free with HRP family membership from as little as £55! With so much history to explore spend a day, the weekend or more at the palaces!

Paintings around the palace
Hampton Court Palace
19-27 February
Come and follow the portrait trail around the palace and join arts and craft workshops in the Clore Learning Centre daily from 11.00 - 16.00

Hear amazing stories about the artists who produced some of the magnificent paintings hanging in the palace and the unusual stories of the people they painted!

- The adventures of Jeffrey Hudson: hear the tallest story of the littlest man. In the Queen's Presence Chamber (Mary II's Apartments)
- The Winter Queen: hear about the rise and fall of this most mysterious lady. In the King's Presence Chamber (William III's Apartments)
- The Giant Porter: hear how the tallest man in London found a home at the court of Elizabeth I. In the Horn Room (Henry VIII's Apartments)

Times vary throughout the week. See the Order of Service for more details at 0Hwww.hrp.org.uk

Collecting the world
Kensington Palace
19-27 February
11.00-16.00
Make your own cabinet of curiosities and decorate an enchanted mask taking inspiration from our weird and wonderful collection displayed in Kensington Palaces Enchanted Palace experience.

During the February half-term we'll be running Family Learning activities exploring the theme of collecting at the palace with free drop in activities taking place throughout the day. Children will be able to make and decorate their own paper cabinets of curiosities as well as help us add to a life-sized cabinet with their own weird and wonderful specimens. They'll also be a trail to discover which parts of the world objects in the palace's collection come from.

Afterwards explore the Enchanted Palace - a unique multisensory exhibition combining fashion, live performance, music, film and dazzling spectacle to show the palace in a magical light. Intriguing and mysterious characters lead visitors on a journey through the spellbound palace to discover its tales of love and hate, surprise and sadness, secrets and jealousy. This is a secret Kensington Palace – one you’ve never seen before!

Recommended for children aged 5-13 it’s the perfect way to entertain the kids this half term.

All the King's Fools
Hampton Court Palace
11.00 & 14.00
Learn about the lives of jesters and fools in the court of King Henry VIII.

Join Peet Cooper of Foolscap Productions and the Misfits Theatre Company in a ground-breaking interpretive performance about “natural” fools in Tudor times.

Based on detailed historic research by historian Dr Suzannah Lipscomb, in collaboration with the director and actors, ‘All the King’s fools’ reveals that the most famous jesters of the mid sixteenth century were learning disabled, that their performances delighted and entertained the King and his court and that their influence extended through the centuries.
The programme will consist of a promenade performance followed by the giving of a gift to the King – once in the morning and repeated in the afternoon.

Notes to editors

All events are included in the admission price unless otherwise stated, events are subject to alteration, please visit http://www.hrp.org.uk/ for up to date ticket prices and opening times.

For further information please contact Katie Blake in the Historic Royal Palaces press office on 020 3166 6340 or email katie.blake@hrp.org.uk

For images, please register on http://hrp.newsteam.co.uk/ which holds our gallery of images. You can browse and download hi-res images from this site. Usage is free for editorial purposes.

Membership prices until 28 February 2011

_{Annual membership}

_{1 Adult}

_{2 Adults}

_{(joint membership)}

_{Family membership}

_{(1 adult)}

_{Family Membership}

_{(2 adults)}

_{Historic Royal Palaces}

_£41.00

_£63.00

_£55.00

_£80.00

Prices until 28 February 2011*

_Palace	_Adult	_Conc	_Child	_Family
_{Tower of London}	_£18.70	_£15.95	_£10.45	_£46.00
_{Hampton Court}_Palace	_£15.40	_£12.65	_£7.70	_£41.80
_{Kensington Palace}	_£12.50	_£11.00	_£6.25	_£34.00
_{Banqueting House}	_£4.80	_£4.00	_Free	_n/a
_{Kew Palace}	_£5.00	_£4.50	_Free	_n/a

*All individual ticket prices include a voluntary donation

Historic Royal Palaces

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. We help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built.

We receive no funding from the Government or the Crown, so we depend on the support of our visitors, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors. These palaces are owned by The Queen on behalf of the nation, and we manage them for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

We believe in four principles. Guardianship: giving these palaces a future as long and valuable as their past. Discovery: encouraging people to make links with their own lives and today’s world. Showmanship: doing everything with panache. Independence: having our own point of view and finding new ways to do our work.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/ registered charity number 1068852 -ends-

Explore the palaces with the kids this February half-term!

Explore the palaces with the kids this February half-term!

19-27 February 2011

Press release

Notes to editors

Palace Connections

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