Leech is a man who knows about fire, how it burns and how it feels. But when Whitehall Palace, the largest palace in Europe, becomes the greatest kindling pile for a seemingly unquenchable blaze, even he is left dazzled. Everything burns, even the home of kings.   Outliers – Stories from the edge of history is an historic fiction podcast that explores how big events are viewed and shaped by the people in the shadows. Listen to Outliers - Stories from the edge of history wherever you get...

As lady-in-waiting to an ageing queen and wife to a failed adventurer, Bess Raleigh has learnt to fight her corner against all adversity. Her life is spent in the shadow of the Tower of London with her husband Sir Walter Raleigh. But will she manage to keep her head whilst others around her lose theirs?     Outliers – Stories from the edge of history is an historic fiction podcast that explores how big events are viewed and shaped by the people in the shadows. Listen to Outliers -...

Outliers – Stories from the edge of history is an historic fiction podcast that explores how big events are viewed and shaped by the people in the shadows.  It’s late spring in 1726 at Kensington Palace, and the lavish court of King George I is in residence. Meanwhile, Mehmet, the Turkish valet to the King, is having some problems with Peter from Hanover, 'the wild boy' who is kept for the King’s amusement. A comical cat-and-mouse chase ensues, but perhaps it is Peter who has some...

The practice of journeying around the country on royal progress is one that monarchs used to strengthen their rule. But they can reveal a lot more than you’d think about kingship and queenship, even for tried and tested subjects such as Henry VIII and his six Queens.     We follow Post-Doctoral Research Assistant Kirsty Wright, as she guides us through the importance of new research into where and why Henry VIII went on royal progress. Kirsty also reveals how the progresses...

The Yeoman Warders have guarded the Tower of London for 500 years, and is perhaps the oldest of jobs that still exists in our palaces today. In this final episode of a Day in the Life, we meet the Chief Yeoman Warder himself, Rob Fuller, and Curator Charles Farris fills us in on the storied history of this role.  To find out more about the forgotten stories of those who worked at the royal palaces over 300 years ago, a new exhibition is opening at Kensington Palace.  ...

Hampton Court Palace was built and maintained by craftspeople, and this is a practice that endures to this day at the palaces. We follow Master Bricklayer Emma Simpson into her workshop where she describes the joy of her work and how it connects her to history. We then hear from Assistant Curator Alexandra Stevenson as she tells us about her research into female craftspeople who had a hand in building the palaces.       To find out more about the forgotten stories of those who worked at...

In this episode we meet Senior Gardener Jane, who works at Hampton Court Palace. Jane takes us behind the scenes into the Nursery as we contemplate the hard work that goes into creating beautiful gardens. To help contextualise the work of an historic gardener, Curator Lee Prosser takes us on an informative stroll around the gardens that have been worked for hundreds of years.   For the next few episodes, we’re going to be following some of the people who work in our Palaces today. We’ll...

For the next few episodes, we’re going to be following some of the people who work in our palaces today. We’ll be exploring how these jobs have a historic context to them, and how surprisingly, there are similarities in the work they do now, from the work that was done in the past.  Today we meet Erin, Historic Royal Palaces’ Wardrobe Manager. We step into the treasure trove that is the costume store and contemplate how Erin’s job may have existed in the past. To help contextualise this,...

Hampton Court Palace has an unexpected connection to the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, the wedding of famous explorer Captain Scott and sculptor Kathleen Bruce took place in the Chapel Royal. We follow Assistant Curator Minette Butler as she explores a shut-off part of the Palace, highlighting how new research into Grace and Favour residents is revealing such curious connections, as well as opening up the lives of the Palace’s most recent residents.    In this new series, we’ll...

Katherine Parr is the final Tudor Queen in our series. Was she the nursemaid who looked after and survived her husband, or was she much more than that? In this final episode of our Six Queens Series, Tracy Borman and historian Sarah Gristwood acquaint us with the woman behind the myths, an intelligent, strong and resourceful champion of her own agenda.   This episode also concludes the series with a reflection on the legacy of the Six Tudor Queens.   To view the painting of the...

Catherine Howard has been judged by generations as promiscuous, a silly girl, a victim. But of course, there is more to her story than these assumptions allow for.   In the fifth episode of our Six Tudor Queens series, Tracy Borman is joined by historian and author Gareth Russell, to bring Catherine to life. They paint a picture of a vivacious young woman whose life deserves to be revealed without the layers that centuries have placed upon her.   See inside the Haunted Gallery with...

Dive into the history of Royal Christmas celebrations in our palaces with this bonus seasonal episode. Chief mischief-maker Curator Charles Farris is joined by fellow Curator Lee Prosser, and Historic Kitchens Manager Richard Fitch, to kick off the season of revelry with some Christmas tomfoolery.  We'll be back next week to continue The Six Tudor Queens series.  For the Victorian Christmas pudding recipe go to:  ...

Tracy Borman talks about her favourite of the Six Tudor Queens, Anne of Cleves. Divorced, so the rhyme goes, for being the ‘ugly’ Queen.   Anne’s looks were the least interesting thing about her, but her story has been dominated by them for centuries. Tracy is joined by fellow Curator Brett Dolman to unpack this fixation on appearance and reveal the woman beneath the myths.      This six-part series aims to do The Six Tudor Queens justice by stripping away unhelpful narratives and...

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...

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...

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...

In this new series Chief Curator Tracy Borman will guide us through the well-known lives of the six Tudor queens who all had one man common.   This six-part series will aim to do the Queens justice whilst discussing some of the interpretations that history has offered of them. We’ll talk about what they might have been like as women in their own time, and reflect on the language we use when we talk about them now. To get a sense of the context in which they lived, we’ll be stepping into...

  In this week’s episode, exhibition lead Zakira Begum and Community Curators Rav Singh and Dr Tej Pal Singh Ralmill explore the impact of the World Wars on the Indian Army, how they moved the Indian Subcontinent towards independence from the British Empire, and ultimately how the legacy of this history is still relevant today.   This is the second of two episodes where we’re celebrating the opening of our new exhibition at Hampton Court Palace called The Indian Army at the Palace.  For...

In the early 20th century soldiers from the Indian Army camped at Hampton Court Palace on a number of occasions for coronations and peace celebrations. But behind all the pomp and ceremony was a much darker side.  In this episode, Exhibition Lead Zakira Begum and Community Curators Rav Singh and Dr Tej Pal Singh Ralmill cover the background and context of the British Empire and the Indian Army, unpicking how the two are connected through the rise of the East India Company, to the birth of...

This week we’re back with the final episode from series two of A Space I Love.  Today Head of Historic Buildings Dan Jackson takes us into a space that for him, sums up what Hampton Court Palace is all about, the hidden east wall of the Chapel Royal.    Tucked away for 400 years, this jigsaw puzzle of a space reveals a lot about the history of this extraordinary palace, as well as its mysteries.   If you want to see this space when visiting Hampton Court Palace, it is on the...

  This week marks the penultimate episode in our six-part mini-series on special places in our palaces. We’re following Curator Polly Putnam into Queen Charlotte’s Drawing Room in Kew Palace, the home of the Royal Family during the illnesses of George III.  This small and domestic-feeling room holds a lot of sadness from the past, but from this Polly is able to reflect on finding joy in the meaning of home.  If you’d like to find out more on visiting Kew Palace go to:...

In the fourth part of this series, Curator Lee Prosser takes us into a hidden space at the Banqueting House, once part of the great Whitehall Palace. It may not be the famous Rubens ceiling, but Lee will reveal how the roof space of the Banqueting House is a piece of living history, with a rich past and an important role for the future.   For information on visiting the Banqueting House, go to:   https://www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/ 

This week is the third part of our mini-series on spaces we love. We’ll be joining Assistant Curator Alfred Hawkins who has chosen to take us into the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula at the Tower of London.   As the burial place of Anne Boleyn, the Chapel Royal holds a special place to many history fans, but there is so much more to this community place of worship. Alfred reveals that the myths of history can be just as important as the truth.   To find out more on the Chapel of St...

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:    ...