Court sport
Court sport looks at some of the different sports and pastimes of the Tudors. Using replica objects, discussion, demonstration and participation your group can explore a different Tudor world and look at how the rich and poor had fun. Your class will be encouraged to handle objects and take part, to ask questions and through discussion look at the impact of games on both people and animals in the past.
Thursdays – September through to May
Wednesdays and Thursdays – June and July
10.30, 11.45, 13.15
1 hour
£80
How to book this session >
Elizabeth I: Politics and power
Join a costumed interpreter to investigate who was best placed to succeed Elizabeth and discover why Philip of Spain and Mary, Queen of Scots posed a threat. Using drama and role play, pupils will discover how Elizabeth dealt with the problem of marriage.
Tuesday to Thursday – September through to May
10.30, 12.00, 13.30
45 minutes
£70
How to book this session >
Explore the Tudor Kitchens
Discover the 16th-century technology that was used to feed the court of Henry VIII at Hampton Court’s Tudor Kitchens. With two costumed presenters.
Monday to Wednesday – September through to May
10.30, 11.30, 12.45, 13.30
45 minutes
£80
How to book this session >
Grand designs: the Tudor state apartments
A session led by knowledgeable specialist costumed interpreters investigates and analyses the Tudor palace on a guided visit to Henry VIII’s State Apartments. Students will learn how to distinguish the original from the re-created, and how to understand the significance of both.
Monday to Friday – September through to May
10.30, 12.00, 13.30
45 minutes
£70
How to book this session >
Investigating Henry
Using artefacts, documents and replica objects pupils will investigate the truth behind the legends of King Henry VIII and the Tudor court in this object-handling session.
Monday to Friday – September through to May
Tuesdays and Thursdays – June and July
10.30, 12.00, 13.30
45 minutes
£70
How to book this session >
Material evidence
This session considers clothing as a way in to the past, exploring the historian's techniques through a practical analysis of how dress can help us understand history. Hampton Court's costumed interpreters research their costumes from a multitude of historical sources. Using these inventories, diaries, letters and picture sources discover what these sources tell us and investigate how far they can be trusted.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – September through to May
Thursdays - June and July
10.30, 12.00, 13.30
1 hour
£70
How to book this session >
Painting history
Join a costumed presenter to discover how much evidence Hampton Court's fascinating paintings can reveal about life in the Tudor court. Pupils will use role-play and the close study of portraits to learn how they can express powerful messages and their limitations as primary source material.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – September through to May
Mondays and Thursdays – June and July
10.30, 12.00, 13.30
45 minutes
£70
How to book this session >
Power and exclusion
Students will join a drama specialist to explore arguments for and against female suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawing from Hampton Court Palace’s Suffragette, Soldiers and Servants exhibition, pupils will discover the contribution of Hampton Court Palace residents such as Princess Sophia Alexandra Owna Duleep Singh, an active campaigner and regular seller of The Suffragette at her pitch outside the palace.
This practical and interactive session will use drama and debate to consider how 19th century political
history is relevant to citizenship today in the context of contemporary ideas about power and exclusion.
Fridays – March to July
10.30
2 hours
£80
How to book this session >
