Talks And Lectures

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 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.  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.  https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/untold-lives/ 

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, Curator Charles Farris will then explore the Medieval world of wardrobe management.  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.  https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/untold-lives/  

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 be exploring fresh research that is taking place in our Palaces. We won’t be releasing this series sequentially, so these episodes will appear throughout the year.  To read more about the wedding of Captain Scott and Kathleen Bruce go to:   www.hrp.org.uk/blog/captain-scott-and-kathleen-bruces-wedding-at-hampton-court-palace 

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 Family of Henry VIII, and the Haunted Gallery where it is kept go to:   www.google.com/maps/@51.4036169,-0.337082,2a,75y,93.52h,94.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZaJgI28yRfgAAAQsEn4lPA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu  www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/painting-paradise/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/the-family-of-henry-viii 

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 this virtual tour of Henry VIII’s Tudor Palace:  https://artsandculture.google.com/story/oAVRshA9gG0J9w   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.   To read about Catherine Howard go to: www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/catherine-howard/  

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:  www.hrp.org.uk/blog/a-christmas-pudding-recipe-with-a-victorian-twist/   And to find out what’s on in our Palaces this Christmas go to:  www.hrp.org.uk/whats-on-all-the-palaces  

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 myths, to better understand them as women in their own time.    Read about Anne of Cleves here: www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/anne-of-cleves  

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

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 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 the parts of our palaces where they would have walked, in a court that was both exciting and toxic in its temperament.     Tracy will explore all this with a stellar cast of historians, all experts on the Queens. So join us next Thursday, and every two weeks after that, as we dive into the world of The Six Tudor Queens.   

  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 tickets go to: www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-indian-army-at-the-palace  Please be aware that this episode contains themes of scientific race theories. 

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 the British Raj in India.   This is the first 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 tickets go to: www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-indian-army-at-the-palace   Please be aware that this episode contains themes of scientific race theories. 

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 Georgian Story route. Our Palace Hosts are easy to spot in red coats and will be able to direct you.  

  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: https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/visit  To learn more about the lives of Queen Charlotte and George III go to: https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/history-and-stories  

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 Peter Ad Vincula go to:   www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/chapel-royal-of-st-peter-ad-vincula   Watch our mini documentary on the Downfall of Anne Boleyn:  Anne Boleyn | The Downfall and Execution of a Tudor Queen 

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  

Coming next week on Thursday 29th June. In this six-part mini-series, our curators are back sharing their favourite spaces with you. We’ll be exploring a selection of treasured spaces in our palaces, from behind-the-scenes stores, to rooms of immense importance to British history.  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 a place can connect us to the past, and make us reflect on the present.