About us

Who we are

Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle. 

Our aim is to help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built.

We raise all our own funds and depend on the support of our visitors, members, donors, sponsors and volunteers.

History of Historic Royal Palaces

Historic Royal Palaces was established by the government in 1989 in order to care for five royal palaces. We later became an independent charity and in 2014 took over the management of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

Trustees

Historic Royal Palaces is governed by a Board of Trustees. Our Trustees promote Historic Royal Palaces’ Cause in the world. They act in the organisation's best interests, ensuring high standards in all the work we do, and that we use our money and resources as effectively as possible.

Directors

The Chief Executive, John Barnes, is accountable to the Board of Trustees for the performance of Historic Royal Palaces and ultimately to Parliament for the public assets in our care. He chairs an Executive Board of eight Directors.

Collections and Conservation

Our palaces host internationally important collections of fine and decorative art, the majority forming part of the Royal Collection. We manage, conserve, display and research our own collections of royal ceremonial dress, architectural drawings, art, archaeology, furniture, furnishings, architectural decoration and social history. We also work in partnership with the Royal Armouries to display their collections of arms and armour at the Tower of London.

Our Policies

• Equality & Diversity
• Safeguarding Children
• Complaints policy
• Due diligence and immunity from seizure
• Conservation and Collection Care Policy
• Freedom of Information
• Modern Slavery statement

Annual Reports and Accounts

As an independent charity we publish all our annual reports, accounts and Trustees meetings.

Tower of London World Heritage Site

HM Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London (the Tower) is one of England’s most evocative ancient monuments. There is a tangible sense of history in every tower and around every corner, making it an endlessly fascinating place for visitors from all round the world.