Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

Jane Seymour is often remembered as 'Plain Jane', distinguished only by her death in the famous rhyme, 'Divorced, beheaded, died...'

But Jane was more than a puppet of powerful men; during her short time as Queen, she made the role her own. In some ways, she was the most successful of all Henry VIII's six queens.

In this episode, Tracy Borman is joined by Elizabeth Norton, who reveals a new side to this misunderstood Tudor woman. Together, they discover the real Jane behind the myths.

Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Beth in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

Learn more about the Tudor queens on our website.

The Tower of London loomed large over the medieval city, casting a formidable shadow with its rings of high walls and towers, wide moat and fearsome gateways.

There have been several attempts to siege the Tower and break past its defenses, but only one was successful. In 1381, the rebels of the Peasants' Revolt managed to get all the way into the White Tower itself.

How was the Tower defended? What obstacles stood between attackers and their goals? And how did the rebels make it inside?

Find out more about the Peasants' Revolt at the Tower on our blog

William the Conqueror may have invaded England in 1066, but he needed castles to truly conquer England.

Castles became the physical embodiment of the Norman Conquest. These were described by many post-Conquest sources as unnatural, alien structures. But they could not be ignored. The English were forced to help build them, then the castles became the source of their subjugation.

Of those first-generation Norman castles, none are more famous than the White Tower at the Tower of London. How and why did William build a castle in London? How was it used? And what does it tell us about Norman rule in England?

The Bayeux Tapestry features just three women among 600 male figures. But you can't tell its story without the powerful medieval women who shaped the Norman Conquest.

In this second episode of our series, Janina Ramirez and Tracy Borman join Charles Farris to explore the Norman Conquest beyond 'two kings and a duke'.

How did women wield power and influence in the early medieval period? Who survived and thrived in the new Norman regime? And why have historians excluded these women from the history books?

Learn more about Matilda of Flanders on our website.

William the Conqueror is one of the most famous figures in English history. But his coronation in 1066 was a disaster. Even as he was crowned as King of England, his future looked uncertain.

So, how did William go from this shaky start to forging the Norman dynasty?

In this first episode of a new series on the aftermath of the Norman Conquest, Tower of London curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Marc Morris and Dr Caroline Wilhelmsson. Together, they bust some well-worn myths about William and the famous events of 1066.

How did William the Conqueror really change England, and why are we still talking about him almost 1,000 years on?

Learn more about William the Conqueror on our website.

For hundreds of years, the Tower of London was home to animals from all over the world. Animals were given as diplomatic gifts, brought by hunters, or captured in the process of colonisation.

What were conditions like for these animals? Who cared for them? And what does their presence at the Tower tell us about Britain's relationship with the wider world?

In this episode, Curator Charles Farris is joined by Emma Shepley, a curator researching the Tower's Menagerie, and Dr Mishka Sinha, a historian of global history, to bring you this new and ongoing research.

The episode contains discussion of animal cruelty, hunting, injury to people, and colonialism.

Visit the Tower of London this summer to see Imagining Animals.

We might think of Queen Victoria as an elderly woman in black mourning dress, but she was only 18 when she came to the throne.

Victoria spent much of her childhood at Kensington Palace. Here, a rigorous programme of education aimed to prepare her for the responsibility of ruling Britain and its Empire. Victoria believed her childhood was 'oppressive', but what was her schooling really like, and who was in charge of teaching her?

In this episode, go behind the scenes of the so called 'Kensington System' with Assistant Curator Myles Campbell, and experience the place where Victoria studied for the crown.

Read more about Victoria's life on our website.

A regicide might be the last person you'd think would save a king's palace – but in Oliver Cromwell, Hampton Court found an unlikely admirer.

During his time as Head of State, Cromwell's family filled Hampton Court with music, art and beauty – and even some scandalous statues – as their family home. In doing so, they saved it from the threat of demolition, and ensured its survival until Charles II returned in 1660.

In this episode, join Assistant Curator Minette Butler as she explores Hampton Court through new eyes, looking for glimpses of this intriguing period. What was it like to visit this royal palace without a king? And how does Cromwell fit into the palace's history?

Explore the Tudor gardens that Cromwell would have known on our website.

Charles I's execution was unprecedented and shocking. He staked everything on his divine right to rule – the same concept that inspired his spectacular Rubens ceiling at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace. Ironically, this glorification of monarchy was one of the King's last sights, before he died on the scaffold.

In this episode, curators Minette Butler and Dr Alden Gregory explore this fascinating story of a 'traitor' king, under the Rubens ceiling where he spent his final moments.

How did Charles I come to be executed by his own subjects? Did he reflect on his reign as he passed underneath these heavenly images? And what remains of his legacy?

See the Rubens ceiling in high definition on Google Arts & Culture.

The walls of the Tower of London are covered with carvings - graffiti left behind by the prisoners who were locked inside. The Tudor monarchs imprisoned hundreds of people, for treason, sedition, or simply their religious faith.

In this episode, Dr Jamie Ingram visits the Beauchamp Tower, which houses some of the most impressive and well known graffiti at the Tower of London. These marks, some of them 500 years old, reveal the poignant stories of the Tower's Tudor Prisoners.

See the Dudley graffito in HD on Google Arts and Culture

See the Abel graffito close up on Google Arts and Culture.

Queen Anne was the first Queen of Great Britain, but wasn't supposed to rule. She could be pious and shy, but was also scandelous and scheming. Today, she is perhaps best known from the award winning film, 'The Favourite'.

Anne's impact is clear at Hampton Court Palace, where the ceiling of the Queen's Drawing Room is covered with a glorious homage to her reign.

In this episode, join historian Gareth Russell for a private look at this amazing space, and explore Anne's turbulent story.

See 'The Apotheosis of Queen Anne' ceiling painting on Google Arts and Culture

Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father, writer, inventor – remains one of the most famous visitors to Hillsborough Castle in its history. His visit to his political foe, Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, in 1771 offers an unexpected link to the history of US independence.

The two men were so completely opposed that earlier the same year, Franklin had tried to have Lord Hillsborough impeached. In response, there is evidence suggesting that Hillsborough wanted to have Franklin arrested.

Remarkably, the two men found much to agree on at the castle – but would the cordial atmosphere last?

Almost 250 years on from the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, we've delved into the archive to find out.

Learn more about the State Dining Room on our website.

In the Declaration of Independence, signed on 4th July 1776, King George III is cast as a 'tyrant'. How fair is this representation?

In this episode, Kew Palace curator Polly Putnam is joined by Dr Rachel Herrmann, Senior Lecturer in Modern American History at Cardiff University, and Dr Robin Eagles, Editor at the History of Parliament Trust. Together, they explore George III's legacy in the United States of America, and whether this matches what we know about his reign.

How much power did George have over the American colonies? Who is often left out of the story? And was he the 'tyrant' that he was made out to be?

Learn more about George III on our website.

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, but stories of this community are often obscured or misunderstood. We've delved into the archive to bring you this special episode for Pride Month, re-connecting with stories from the LGBTQ+ community.

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 episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam. Together, they discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and what they can teach us about our past, and present.

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

In 1533, the Boleyns seemed to have it all. Anne Boleyn was Queen, and her family were reaping the rewards of Henry VIII's favour. But it was not to last.

Within three years, each member of the faction was fighting for survival as their power evaporated.

In this second episode of a two-part series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Tracy Borman is joined by Gareth Russell at Hampton Court Palace. They explore how the House of Boleyn was dismantled with such devastating consequences. Who, if anyone, dared to try and save them? And who was left as the faction crumbled?

Read more from Tracy Borman: Was Jane Boleyn the most hated woman in Tudor England?

The Boleyn family captivated Henry VIII – but who were they before their meteoric rise to fame? Who were the little-known women operating from Hever Castle? And was Anne's father the schemer he's made out to be?

In this first episode of a new series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey from Hever Castle. They explore how Anne Boleyn's relatives worked their way from Norfolk merchants into the corridors of power, and why they still fascinate us 500 years on.

Read more about Anne Boleyn on our website.

Buy Tracy's new novel 'The House of Boleyn' from our shop.

Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious court of Henry VIII, his journey to power reveals so much about the opportunities and dangers of the Tudor period.

In this final episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman explores the real story of a man often seen as a villain. Joined by Chief Curator Eleri Lynn, she discusses the Reformation, Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell's all-important relationship with Henry VIII.

Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Eleri in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

Thomas More lived by the mantra, 'I am the King's good servant, but God's first'. He would also die by it. His defiance at Henry VIII's break with Rome would be his salvation, and his destruction.

In this episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Dr Joanne Paul to examine the truth behind Thomas More's legacy.

Was he a saintly man of conscience in a court filled with grasping politicians, or a self-righteous heretic hunter? And what does his story tell us about Henry VIII?

Watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Joanne in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace.

Read more about Sir Thomas More's life and legacy.

Thomas Wolsey was born the son of a butcher from Ipswich, yet he rose to become one of the most powerful men in Tudor England as Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. He was even known as 'The Other King', and built a palace that rivalled Henry VIII's.

This spectacular rise was only matched by the drama of his fall.

In this first episode of our new series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Elizabeth Norton to explore Wolsey's time in Henry's court. How powerful was he? Why did he fall from Henry VIII's favour? And what legacy did he leave behind?

Read more about Thomas Wolsey and see inside his palace at Hampton Court on our website.

The Last Princesses of Punjab left behind legacies that continue to resonate today, but what impact did these women have and how should we remember them?

In this final episode in our series, we join Curators Dr Mishka Sinha and Polly Putnam, as they chat to researcher and collector Peter Bance, and Dr Nadhra Shahbaz, Associate Professor of the Art and Architecture of Punjab.

What were the sisters' legacies and how can we find meaning in them today?

Read more about the extraordinary life of Catherine Duleep Singh, LGBTQ+ Icon and 'gurantor' for Jewish refugees.

Find out more about The Last Princesses of Punjab and book tickets to our exhibition at Kensington Palace.