Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
Using Heritage Science to Conserve Queen Caroline's State Bed
13 September 2024
Work on Queen Caroline’s much-loved State bed, which we care for on behalf of the Royal Collection Trust, continues at Hampton Court Palace and our attentions are now drawn to protecting the feet of this priceless historic object.
Growing sustainable peas and beans in the Kitchen Garden
30 May 2024
Kitchen Garden and Vine Keeper Hilary Theaker explores the importance of planting peas and beans in Hampton Court's Kitchen Garden.
The Revealing Tale of Queen Victoria's Early Biography
24 May 2024
In 1839, Queen Victoria's engagement to Prince Albert prompted one of the first biographies of the young monarch. But the book's release was a disaster.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part II
24 May 2024
The next step in our search was to look at sources and pictures on William III's life before he arrived in England, and his first court, to attempt to discover more about this young man, and why he might have been painted with the King.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part I
17 May 2024
A young Black man dressed in blue and gold holding a helmet stands beside William III in a portrait that is a focal point of our exhibition: Untold Lives: A Palace at Work. Who was he? Where did he live and when? Why is he in the painting with William III? And how can historians unravel the mystery surrounding him?
Imagining Anne Boleyn's Coronation in 1533
10 May 2024
Curator of Historic Buildings, Alden Gregory imagines the ambitious festivities that Henry VIII commissioned to welcome Anne Boleyn as his second Queen Consort.
Lifting the Royal Curtain
01 May 2024
Photographs of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – now synonymous with the Victorian age – might appear restrained and unremarkable to modern eyes but behind their rigid poses lies a pioneering sentiment.
The Adventurous Life of a Masterpiece
15 April 2024
The glorious 300-year-old Tijou Screen marks the southern boundary of the Privy Garden at Hampton Court Palace. It was designed for William III and Mary II in 1689 by Jean Tijou – one of the greatest ironworkers who ever lived.
Queen Caroline’s State bed is Back!... on Display
09 April 2024
Go behind the scenes with the Conservation team at Hampton Court Palace, who are continuing their work on Queen Caroline's much-loved State Bed.
'Washing the Lions': A Famous April Fools Hoax at the Tower of London
01 April 2024
The Tower of London is home to Britain’s earliest recorded April Fool’s prank – the so-called 'Annual Ceremony of Washing the Lions'.