Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
'The new Terrors of Death': Dr John Arbuthnot, Queen Anne’s favourite physician
11 March 2024
Dr John Arbuthnot was among the army of medical specialists who were summonsed to serve the Royal family in the 18th century. Arbuthnot is little remembered today, but he was 'the Queen’s favourite physician' — a gentle-mannered confidante to courtiers, politicians, poets, writers and ladies-in-waiting alike.
The Boy on the Staircase: Peter 'the Wild Boy' from Hanover
11 March 2024
In 1726 the arrival of a 'wild youth' in the Great Drawing Room of St James's Palace caused a London sensation. A boy in his early teens had been found in German woods 'wild, naked… and knowing nobody'. Brought to England, he was nicknamed Peter 'the wild boy'.
A Glimpse into the World of Two Royal Cooks
11 March 2024
When it came to conjuring up the smell and heat of long-abandoned royal kitchens for Untold Lives, we turned to two cooks’ books which won’t be found on today's kitchen shelves.
'Below Stairs' in Sickness, Death and Old Age
29 February 2024
What happened to those who worked in the royal palaces when they fell ill, grew old, or when they died, leaving loved ones behind?
The Extravagant Funeral of Henry VIII
16 February 2024
Curator of Historic Buildings Alden Gregory explores the elaborate hearse created to mark Henry VIII’s death, and how it links to the King’s use of temporary architecture during his life.
Saving our Baroque Box Hedging at Hampton Court Palace
15 February 2024
Senior Gardener Amy Borthwick explains a new 'Box Battle' going on deep within the Privy Garden of Hampton Court Palace, and the plans to save it.
The King’s Favourite: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
01 February 2024
In the ruthless world of the Stuart court, royal favour was everything. No one knew this better than George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, whose rise to power was built on the love and patronage of James I.
Elizabeth I: History's Healthiest Monarch?
15 January 2024
Elizabeth I was top of the Tudor tree when it came to health and fitness. Always a resourceful woman, she chased away ‘melancholy’ with a whole host of entertaining pursuits.
The Wedding of Captain Scott and Kathleen Bruce at Hampton Court Palace
04 January 2024
Assistant Curator Minette Butler explores how Captain Scott's wedding to his beloved wife Kathleen Bruce at Hampton Court Palace intertwines with the aftermath of his ill-fated expedition to reach the South Pole.