9 April 2021. Following the death of His Royal Highness, there will be changes to opening hours for the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and Hillsborough Castle. For further information, please read our FAQs page
We are lucky enough to look after extraordinary palaces, spaces and objects in our palaces. We look after Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Banqueting House, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland.
Between them, the six extraordinary historic buildings in our care have witnessed 1,000 years of history. They have survived many tumultuous moments in the past.
Take a look at some highlights and stories that we can share with you during these challenging times.
Take a tour of three of our palaces with Lucy Worsley in the programme Royal Palaces Secrets, available on BBC iplayer in the UK on PBS in the US.
With the palaces closed, Lucy takes you on a tour of the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace as she uncovers the dramatic events that changed the course of British history.
With a £100 million shortfall in our finances this year, we need your support now more than ever, to sustain the charity through this difficult period. If you love the palaces and believe in what we do, please donate today. Simply Text PALACES to 70085 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message. Thank you.
Our palaces are full of hidden secrets. Take a peek behind the scenes in our video series.
Read stories from our curators about our palaces and the people who lived in them.
With a rather different sort of festive season upon us, curator Brett Dolman reflects on James I and VI’s first Christmas at Hampton Court Palace in 1603.
Curator Brett Dolman reflects on how portraiture has moulded our understanding of the past.
It’s a momentous day for England, as the passing of Queen Mary ushers in a new ‘Elizabethan’ age. Our Tudor correspondent Tracy Borman takes up the story.
Explore Queen Victoria’s private life behind her carefully-managed public image in this major new exhibition at Kensington Palace.
Closed 5 Jan 2020
Kensington Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)
See the Bacton Altar Cloth, a rare survival of Elizabethan dress worn by Elizabeth I, and the iconic Rainbow Portrait at Hampton Court Palace.
Closed 23 February 2020
Hampton Court Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)
Experience the splendour of the Tudor court in Henry VIII's Great Hall, complete with his magnificent tapestries.
Open 20 May
Hampton Court Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)
