The eyes of the world were on St James’s Palace on 10 September 2022 when David White, Garter King of Arms, read the Accession Proclamation formally announcing the succession of King Charles III following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. If royal palace expert Simon Thurley had been watching or listening, he might well have been frustrated to hear the BBC commentators say repeatedly that ‘very little is known about the history of the palace’.

Along with two co-authors, Rufus Bird and Michael Turner, Thurley had completed an account of the 800-year history of the palace, based on primary sources and a study of the surviving building fabric, some three years previously. On this episode of The PastCast, Chris Catling discusses what this book brings to our understanding of the palace and its place in British monarchical history.

Catling is also the author of an article on the palace in the latest issue of Current Archaeology magazine, which is out now in the UK and is also available to read in full on The Past website. On this episode, he spoke with regular PastCast presenter Calum Henderson. Current Archaeology editor Carly Hilts also joined Calum to discuss what else is in the latest issue, as well as share exciting details about the upcoming Current Archaeology Live! 2023 conference on 25 February at the UCL Institute of Education, London.

The Past brings together the most exciting stories and the very best writing from the realms of history, archaeology, heritage, and the ancient world. You can subscribe to The Past today for just £7.99. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider liking it, subscribing, and sharing it around.