Join in our Diamond Jubilee celebrations
The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace - Sold out
Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration; Private Evening Tour with special talk provided by exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut
Date: 24 September at 17:15 prompt
Please meet at the Ambassador’s Entrance to Buckingham Palace (left side of Palace)
Price: £60 including champagne
This spectacular exhibition at Buckingham Palace will show the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. The tour and curator talk will end in the Bow Room and if we are blessed with sun, the group will spill out to the West Terrace for a glass of champagne and the opportunity to shop with 20% discount on all merchandise.
Windsor Castle
The Queen: 60 Photographs for 60 Years; Private Evening Tour,with special talk provided by exhibition curator Lisa Heighway
Dates: 3 and 11 October at 18:00
Please meet at the main gate to Windsor Castle
Price: £50 including champagne
This is a fantastic opportunity for members to visit Windsor Castle after hours and experience the exhibition ‘The Queen: 60 Photographs for 60 Years’, staged to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. The exhibition presents a portrait of The Queen’s reign as captured in fleeting moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.
Tower of London
The Great Queen Debate with ‘The History Girls’
Date: 12 June doors open at 18.30 for a 18.45 start
Price: £15
Member favourites ‘The History Girls’ are joining in our Jubilee celebrations by hosting a debate at the Tower of London as to who wins the prize for being our most impressive reigning queen. Starting with Alison Weir discussing the life of Mary Tudor, right to our present day queen with Kate Williams, members will be asked to join in and vote for their favourite at the end of the evening. Who will win? Only you can decide!
New Member tours of the Tower of London with an iconic Yeoman Warder
Dates: 7 and 22 June
Price: FREE for new members (suitable for children of all ages.)
Please meet outside the Welcome Centre at the Tower of London at 17.45 prompt If you would like to attend one of the new member tours please contact the membership office on 0203 166 6327.
Ceremony of the Keys
Dates: 26 May, 13 June and 23 June starting at 21.30 prompt
Price: The event is free but we ask for a donation of £5 on the night towards conservation costs.
The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of the Tower of London and has taken place on each and every night, without fail, for at least 700 years. We have a very limited allocation of places so book early to secure your place.
Please be there promptly at 21.30 as latecomers will not be admitted. This event is held outside so please be prepared for our English weather! For the Ceremony of the Keys tickets please call 020 3166 6327.
If you can't make any of the above dates then you can apply in writing directly to the Ceremony of the Keys office, Tower of London, EC3N 4AB, to attend a date open to the general public.
Hampton Court Palace
Salacious Gossip tours
Dates: 20 and 27 June starting at 19.30
Price: £20 including a glass of champagne (please meet at the West Gate)
Explore the fantastical and scandalous world of the Baroque court in a more intimate light. Come and hear the latest gossip when the palace is closed to visitors so all the juicy detail can be revealed. From Charles II to George II, explore the tales of mistresses, beauty and the bedroom!! Toast the decadent lifestyle of the Baroque palace with a glass of champagne to follow. (NB over-18s only)
Grace and favour tours - the names behind the doors
Dates: 24 May (two tours a day starting at 11.00 and 14.00)
Price: £10 (please meet in the Members’ Room)
The royal family may have left Hampton Court in 1737, but the palace and its apartments soon found another purpose. After George III (r 1760-1820) decided not to live there, there was debate as to the future of the palace’s thousands of rooms. From the 1760s onwards, the palace was divided up for ‘grace-and-favour’ residents who were granted rent-free accommodation because they had given great service to the Crown or country.
Meet a State Apartment Warder in the Members’ Room
Dates: 26 May
Price: FREE for new Members (suitable for children of all ages)
Members are lucky enough to have the services of a State Apartment Warder for one day a month in the Members’ room to show new members around, answer any questions or tell you about the ghosts and characters inhabiting the palace. The Warder will be located in the Members room and run two exclusive tours at 11.00 and 15.00. Each tour will give you an experts’ guide of what there is to see and do at each palace. If you would like to attend one of the new member tours please contact the membership office on 020 3166 6327.
Preventative Conservation Lectures in the Clore Centre With Preventative Conservation Supervisor, Laurie Gibbs.
Dates: 19 June (starting at 11.00)
Price: £10
The palace relies on our expert team of Preventative Conservators to ensure the fabric of the building, the textiles and everything else is kept in pristine condition. Laurie leads the team through the year cycle of events, filming and exhibitions and is hosting two lectures for members to explain more about this fascinating world at Hampton Court Palace.
Lunchtime lectures
These monthly lunch lectures have grown in stature and popularity each month. The staff who have hosted the lunches have really enjoyed meeting you all and it is nice to see some familiar faces at each lecture. The lectures (apart from 30 May) will be held in the Western Room (Clore centre) at Hampton Court Palace which is off the main car park.
30 May – Natasha Woollard, Head Clarke of Kensington Palace (NB this lecture will be held in the new Clore Centre at Kensington Palace)
Tickets are £5, including a light lunch buffet.
Book club
The book club has become one of the stalwart events for members each month. We have had some brilliant debates over the course of the year and I am very much looking forward to welcoming more members along.
Date: 16 May has now moved to 23 May.
The meetings start at 18.30 and are held in the Clore Centre at Hampton Court Palace. Please email members@hrp.org.uk if you would like to be part of the group and receive emails about the books we are discussing.
Banqueting House
Please note: The Banqueting House often closes at short notice for functions and events, so please check the times before your visit by calling +44 (0)203 166 6154/5.
Kew Palace
Please note than on a normal visit to Kew Palace entrance to Kew Palace is free as part of the membership subscription. However entrance to Kew Gardens is not included and must be paid for at the published rates.
