Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

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 of Henry's Queens are contributing to highlighting their individual roles and personalities, helping to answer bigger questions about 16th century queenship and monarchy. In this 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 find out more about the Henry VIII on Tour research project go to: www.hrp.org.uk/about-us/research/henry-viii-on-tour-landscapes-communities-and-performance/

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

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 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/

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