Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

This week we’re continuing our mini-series on treasured spaces with a trip through a place full of historic clothing, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.   We’ll follow Curator Matthew Storey into this hidden store, to find out how we can learn from the stories that are carried in the historic clothing we look after, and how they really do hold relevance for today.  If you would like to find out more or visit the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, go to:    www.hrp.org.uk/about-us/conservation-and-collections/royal-ceremonial-dress-collection  

Welcome back to series two of A Space I Love. In this six-part mini-series, we’re back exploring a selection of treasured spaces in our palaces with the people who know them best, our curators.   In this first episode we’ll follow Alden Gregory behind-the-scenes into the King’s House at the Tower of London, a place that is intimately connected with the Gunpowder Plot, and the interrogation of Guy Fawkes. Please be aware that this episode contains themes of torture, death and execution, which some listeners may find upsetting.  For more on the Gunpowder plot you can listen to our previous episodes on the plot from November 2022, or visit:  https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/guy-fawkes-and-the-gunpowder-plot  

This week we’re talking about  Queen number three, Jane Seymour. Once again Tracy Borman is joined by a fantastic guest, Dr Nicola Tallis will bring Jane to life for us.  Always thought of as the favourite wife, Jane Seymour is best known for giving birth to the male heir that her husband so desired, and for being the one in the rhyme who sadly died. But we don’t know very much about her as a woman and as an individual. In this episode Tracy and Nicola will shed light on this, revealing that Jane may have had more to her than history has allowed.  This six-part series aims to do The Six Tudor Queens justice by stripping away unhelpful narratives and myths, to better understand them as women in their own time.   

The one you’ve been waiting for! Tracy Borman is joined by Dr Owen Emmerson and Palace Host James Peacock, to take on the mammoth task of disrupting the reputation of the second and most famous of the six Tudor Queens, Anne Boleyn. They’ll explore this in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace, which remains a symbol of Anne’s triumph and her downfall.   Please be aware that this episode contains references to miscarriages, still births and infant mortality.  This six-part series will aim to do The Six Tudor Queens justice by stripping away unhelpful narratives and myths, to better understand them as women in their own time.  Watch Tracy's mini documentary on the Downfall of Anne Boleyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_fPZsgSD0 See the palace come to life while you listen and explore inside the Great Hall, with this virtual tour of Henry VIII's Tudor Palace: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/oAVRshA9gG0J9w 

Tracy Borman opens our new series on the Queens Consort of Henry VIII with renowned historian Dr Elizabeth Norton. To better understand the six Queens, they first explore the context of the turbulent times in which these women lived.   As the first Queen of Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon’s reputation as the dowdy wronged wife has endured for 500 years, but Tracy and Elizabeth call this into question. They reveal that Katherine’s iron-will was both her strength and arguably her undoing.   Please be aware that this episode contains references to miscarriages, still births and infant mortality.   This six-part series will aim to do The Six Tudor Queens justice by stripping away unhelpful narratives and myths, to better understand them as women in their own time.  

In this six-part mini-series, we’ll be exploring a selection of treasured spaces in our palaces with the people who know them best, our curators.   Some spaces will be grand and some modest, some aren’t even open to the public. But each space has been personally chosen by our resident experts to reveal how immersing ourselves in the past can connect us to the present.     The first epsidoe will be released on Thursday November 17th. Episodes will be released every two weeks. 

George III’s Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens is the tallest building Historic Royal Palaces looks after. With its Chinese-inspired design and fierce dragons, it is an eye-catching example of the Georgian fascination with architecture from around the world.  Welcome back to the new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened.  Join curator Lee Prosser on a dizzying climb to the top, and uncover the secrets that informed the restoration of this unique historic building.  Learn more about George III. Visit the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. 

Step inside the Drawing Room of the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland. Inspired by the Queen Mother, full of contemporary art, and surprisingly cozy, this is a room unlike any other across our palaces. Welcome to a new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened. In this first episode, Castle Host Carol McMullan takes us on an intimate tour of a place where state and family life have merged for generations of the royals, and where the history of Northern Ireland has been shaped by momentous negotiations. Discover more about Hillsborough Castle Gardens on our website.

The Private Tudor Gardens of Hampton Court were lost when they were replaced by later additions. Yet small glimpses remain to us of these Privy Gardens, revealing an intriguing snapshot into the private lives of the Tudor monarchs and the people who worked for them.   Alexandra Stevenson is Curator of Archaeology and Historic Buildings. She shares with us her latest research exploring Elizabeth I’s garden sanctuary - where herbs were grown, sweet-smelling waters were distilled, and where the Tudor queen may have bathed and relaxed away from the eyes of the court.   Travel back to the Lost Tudor Gardens at Hampton Court and see the Wijngaerde Panorama of the Gardens from 1558.  

Hans Holbein’s Tudor masterpiece known as the Ambassadors was painted in 1533, the year when Henry VIII changed the course of history. Religious turmoil sweeps through Europe and Anne Boleyn is Queen of England.     Two Ambassadors choose to capture this pivotal moment of religious and political upheaval, but who were they and what did they want this painting to convey?   In today’s episode we join Tracy Borman, Chief Historian, as she explores the painting known as The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein.   You can view The Ambassadors in high resolution here.  Thank you to the National Gallery for letting us record in front of the painting. 

The Gardens of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are the perfect place to walk and enjoy the sounds and feelings of being in nature.  So for today’s episode, we’re collaborating with sound artist and musician Alice Boyd, who is going to lead us into these tranquil gardens to meet Claire Woods who is Head Gardener at Hillsborough Castle.   We want you to be immersed by this episode, so take a moment to focus in on the lovely sounds and enjoy an escape to the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle.   Find out more about the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle. 

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, yet the stories of this community have often been obscured or misunderstood.   When we explore queer histories, we gain a much fuller picture of societies in the past, from when our palaces were first built, right on through to their more recent history.     In this week’s episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Assistant Research Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam, to discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and how best to understand them in their historic context.    A transcript of this episode is available on the Historic Royal Palaces website.    Explore more LGBTQ+ histories from our palaces on our website.  Read Matthew’s article about Kathleen Woodhouse.   Read Molly McClain's article on Stuart women.  Find Kit Heyam’s books on their website.   In this episode we use a range of different gender pronouns to discuss historical people, including those used in the original sources and those used by historians today.  Content warnings:   Homophobia, including the murder of queer people  Transphobia   Non-consensual medical examination   Suicide    

There are two Queens Consort particularly connected to the history of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London; Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile.   Although less famous than other queens, these women are emblematic of how medieval queenship could perform and embody power in the 13th century. To find out more, Curator Charles Farris is joined by Professor Louise Wilkinson.    Today marks the third and final episode in a mini-series to celebrate the reopening of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London.    Read more about the life of Eleanor of Provence.

The history of the Jewish community in Medieval England is complex and fascinating, but it hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves when it comes to our understanding of the Tower of London.  In this bonus episode as part of our mini-series, curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Rory MacLellan and Professor Miri Rubin to discuss how the Jewish community interacted with the Crown and the Tower of London during the Middle Ages.   This episode is a re-release of the episode on the same topic from 2023, to add context to our reopening of the Medieval Palace.  Read more about the Jewish community and the Tower of London. Jewish Medieval History at the Tower | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces  Rory's research can be found on our website. The Jewish History of the Medieval Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces  Visit the medieval palace. Medieval Palace | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces     Content warnings:   This episode discusses prejudice against Jewish people, including:  Blaming Jewish people for the death of Christ   Blood libel  Accusations of greed and financial crimes  Imprisonment   Mob violence   Execution   Forced conversion   Expulsion  

The Medieval Palace at the Tower of London formed a significant part of the Tower’s large-scale expansion in the 13th Century, turning the castle into a strong defensive fortress.    In this episode, Curator Charles Farris explores the Medieval Palace that survives today, to find out what place the Tower held in medieval society. How was it used by the kings and queens who lived here, and what can it reveal about the communities who worked within its walls?   Explore the Tower of London’s Medieval Palace.

In this new three-part series Curator Charles Farris will be exploring what the Tower of London was like in the medieval times.   We’ll step into the Medieval Palace, walking in the footsteps of the kings, queens, and communities who built these walls.   In the 13th century, the Tower was expanded into the fortress we recognise today, but what can we learn from it, and how was it used by the people who lived and worked in its shadow?   Join us next Thursday for our first episode on the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London. 

When the Mary Rose was raised in the 1980s, she brought to light a treasure trove of objects that can reveal so much about life in Tudor England and beyond.     In this second episode of our two-part series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is shown the preciously conserved history of the Mary Rose by Dr Alex Hildred, Head of Research at the musuem.    Find out more about visiting and supporting the Mary Rose Museum, and discover the largest collection of Tudor objects in the world. 

The story of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship, is one that is closely connected to the reign of the iconic Tudor monarch, but it is the history of her demise that remains a mystery to this day.  When she sank in 1545, she lost almost her entire crew, but this tragedy would preserve for posterity a remarkable time capsule of Tudor England and beyond.   In this first episode of our mini-series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman takes us on a trip to the Mary Rose Museum to meet Head of Research Dr Alex Hildred. Together they will explore the life of the Mary Rose. Visit the Mary Rose Museum and discover the largest collection of Tudor objects in the world.  Visit the Tudor World Exhibition at Hampton Court, and see the oldest rooms of the Tudor palace, once lived in by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. 

Dress codes can tell us so much about historic court fashion and the rules and regulations of royal clothing. But they can also relate to the way we think about, and express who we are today, as much as in the past. To celebrate the opening of our new exhibition at Kensington Palace, Caterina Berni speaks to Curator Matthew Story and bespoke period tailor Zack Pinsent of Pinsent Tailoring; to explore the Dress Codes we follow every single day. Decode the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection in our Dress Codes exhibition at Kensington Palace. See the Royal Wardrobe and items from the exhibition up close in our online collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. See the garments discussed in this episode: 18th century court suit with silver thread 1920s Court Dress Vivienne Westwood’s Investiture dress Mourning Dress with white and mauve flowers. Japanese Diplomatic Court Suit Gold Wedding Dress Duke of Windsor’s Tartan suit Fancy Dress gown worn gown worn to Queen Victoria’s costume ball

Matilda of Flanders is the formidable consort of William the Conqueror, yet she is relatively unknown in the story of the 1066 conquest of England.    Chief Historian Tracy Borman makes her pitch for the pivotal role Matilda played as a champion for female sovereignty, and for her contribution to arguably the most successful dynasty in medieval Europe, the Normans.     Read more about Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror at the building of the Tower of London.