Updated 29 May. In line with government guidance, our palaces remain closed. We are working on detailed plans to safely re-open our sites, starting with our outdoor spaces. Thank you for your patience. Read our statement
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.
While the palaces are closed, take a look at some highlights and stories that we can share with you during these challenging times.
You can create your own wildflower meadow in a small patch of garden.
Discover curriculum-linked history resources for all Key Stages that will keep your kids learning about the Tudors, Victorians and more while you're staying home together.
Our palaces are full of hidden secrets. Whilst our palace doors are closed, take a peek behind the scenes in our video series.
While our doors are closed, take a virtual tour around Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
Read stories from our curators about our palaces and the people who lived in them.
Henry VIII is usually remembered as the uber-confident, intimidating megalomaniac who touted his magnificence on an international stage. But in 1528, a terrifying epidemic of ‘sweating sickness’ brought out his vulnerable side. Tracy Borman explores this strange disease and Henry’s surprising reaction to it.
On 24th May 1819 at Kensington Palace, Queen Victoria was born. in 2019, as part of the work to recreate the rooms where Victoria grew up, Historic Royal Palaces curators carried out extensive research into the decorative schemes she would have known as a little girl.
The Tower of London has witnessed some of our nation’s most testing moments and is a symbol of our collective resilience. This blog explores some of these trials, and the small but important part the Tower and its people played in tackling them. We begin our story in the Middle Ages…
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 daily
Hampton Court Palace
Included in palace admission (members go free)