Minette Butler
Position: Assistant Curator of Public History
About
Minette joined the curatorial team in 2023, having studied with Historic Royal Palaces and QMUL on their joint MA program in Heritage Management. As curator of the National Funeral Museum, her research focused on the histories and material culture of death, mourning and undertaking in Great Britain. At HRP, she conducts historical research and collaborates in the production of digital outputs such as web pages, podcasts, and social media.
Minette’s research interests include Hampton Court’s ‘Grace and Favour’ period, with particular focus on the community’s social life as well as the presence of naval officers, polar explorers and their families amongst the palace’s residents.
Minette also researches the role of the palaces during the First and Second World Wars. This research supported two remembrance installations at the Tower of London, Poppy Fields at the Tower (2024) and The Tower Remembers (2025).
Select publications
Butler, M., ‘The King’s Favourite: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham’, HRP Blog, February 2024.
‘Butler, M., ‘Hampton Court and the Unknown Warrior’, HRP Blog, 2024.
Butler, M., ‘The Explorer and the Artist: The Wedding of Captain Scott and Kathleen Bruce at Hampton Court’, HRP Blog, January 2024.