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Historic Royal Palaces blog

Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces

Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces

'May I Go Home?': Lady Jane Grey's First Moments as a Tower Prisoner

11 October 2024

Lady Jane Grey's biographer, Dr Nicola Tallis unpicks the moment that Jane learned of her deposition and was forced to come to terms with her fall from Queen to Tower prisoner.

A tour of Kew's Kitchen Garden

10 September 2019

Like Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens, the Kitchen Garden is open seasonally to visitors, from April to October. But work in the garden continues all year round. Let's take a tour...

Displaying Queen Mary II's Exoticks Collection

28 August 2019

You may well have heard of Queen Mary II's Exoticks Collection or seen the plants in the gardens or in the glasshouse nurseries at Hampton Court. If you haven't, here is a brief description so you'll know what to look out for on your next visit.

Renewable energy meets conservation: the Hydro House at Hillsborough

19 August 2019

To the very north of the park at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, for the adventurous visitor prepared to explore the Perimeter Walk, is the Hydro House. Historic Royal Palaces restored and re-commissioned the Hydro House in 2017 and it now produces enough electricity to continuously power 100 mobile phones!

Dahlia season at Hampton Court Palace

14 August 2019

July marks the start of the dahlia season, but it is as the days grow shorter that these flamboyant plants come into their own, providing a spectacular display of extravagant flowers until the first frosts.

Herbs through history: from the Tudors to today

29 July 2019

Central to the Kitchen Garden at Hampton Court is its collection of herbs, and they are looking at their best in the summer. While many of them are familiar, some unusual ones have had some fascinating uses throughout history.

Wildflowers bloom at Kensington Palace

05 July 2019

After a lot of hard work this winter by the gardens team at Kensington Palace, the fruits of their labour can now be seen in the wildflower meadow.

Hay-making with Two Hampton Court Shire Horses

18 September 2015

The tradition of hay-making is being kept alive at Kensington Palace thanks to Tom and Murdoch, a pair of Shire Horses from Hampton Court Palace.