George III’s Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens is the tallest building Historic Royal Palaces looks after. With its Chinese-inspired design and fierce dragons, it is an eye-catching example of the Georgian fascination with architecture from around the world. 

Welcome back to the new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened. 

Join curator Lee Prosser on a dizzying climb to the top, and uncover the secrets that informed the restoration of this unique historic building. 

Learn more about George III.

Visit the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. 

Step inside the Drawing Room of the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland. Inspired by the Queen Mother, full of contemporary art, and surprisingly cozy, this is a room unlike any other across our palaces.

Welcome to a new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened.

In this first episode, Castle Host Carol McMullan takes us on an intimate tour of a place where state and family life have merged for generations of the royals, and where the history of Northern Ireland has been shaped by momentous negotiations.

Discover more about Hillsborough Castle Gardens on our website.

The Private Tudor Gardens of Hampton Court were lost when they were replaced by later additions. Yet small glimpses remain to us of these Privy Gardens, revealing an intriguing snapshot into the private lives of the Tudor monarchs and the people who worked for them.  

Alexandra Stevenson is Curator of Archaeology and Historic Buildings. She shares with us her latest research exploring Elizabeth I’s garden sanctuary - where herbs were grown, sweet-smelling waters were distilled, and where the Tudor queen may have bathed and relaxed away from the eyes of the court.  

Travel back to the Lost Tudor Gardens at Hampton Court and see the Wijngaerde Panorama of the Gardens from 1558.  

Hans Holbein’s Tudor masterpiece known as the Ambassadors was painted in 1533, the year when Henry VIII changed the course of history. Religious turmoil sweeps through Europe and Anne Boleyn is Queen of England.    

Two Ambassadors choose to capture this pivotal moment of religious and political upheaval, but who were they and what did they want this painting to convey?  

In today’s episode we join Tracy Borman, Chief Historian, as she explores the painting known as The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein. 

 You can view The Ambassadors in high resolution here. 

Thank you to the National Gallery for letting us record in front of the painting. 

The Gardens of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are the perfect place to walk and enjoy the sounds and feelings of being in nature. 

So for today’s episode, we’re collaborating with sound artist and musician Alice Boyd, who is going to lead us into these tranquil gardens to meet Claire Woods who is Head Gardener at Hillsborough Castle.  

We want you to be immersed by this episode, so take a moment to focus in on the lovely sounds and enjoy an escape to the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle.  

Find out more about the Gardens of Hillsborough Castle. 

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, yet the stories of this community have often been obscured or misunderstood.  

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 week’s episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Assistant Research Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam, to discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and how best to understand them in their historic context.   

A transcript of this episode is available on the Historic Royal Palaces website. 

 

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  

 

There are two Queens Consort particularly connected to the history of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London; Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile.   Although less famous than other queens, these women are emblematic of how medieval queenship could perform and embody power in the 13th century. To find out more, Curator Charles Farris is joined by Professor Louise Wilkinson.    Today marks the third and final episode in a mini-series to celebrate the reopening of the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London.    Read more about the life of Eleanor of Provence.

The history of the Jewish community in Medieval England is complex and fascinating, but it hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves when it comes to our understanding of the Tower of London. 

In this bonus episode as part of our mini-series, curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Rory MacLellan and Professor Miri Rubin to discuss how the Jewish community interacted with the Crown and the Tower of London during the Middle Ages.  

This episode is a re-release of the episode on the same topic from 2023, to add context to our reopening of the Medieval Palace. 

Read more about the Jewish community and the Tower of London. Jewish Medieval History at the Tower | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces 

Rory's research can be found on our website. The Jewish History of the Medieval Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces 

Visit the medieval palace. Medieval Palace | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces 

  

Content warnings:  

This episode discusses prejudice against Jewish people, including: 

• Blaming Jewish people for the death of Christ  

• Blood libel 

• Accusations of greed and financial crimes 

• Imprisonment  

• Mob violence  

• Execution  

• Forced conversion  

• Expulsion  

The Medieval Palace at the Tower of London formed a significant part of the Tower’s large-scale expansion in the 13th Century, turning the castle into a strong defensive fortress.    In this episode, Curator Charles Farris explores the Medieval Palace that survives today, to find out what place the Tower held in medieval society. How was it used by the kings and queens who lived here, and what can it reveal about the communities who worked within its walls?   Explore the Tower of London’s Medieval Palace.

In this new three-part series Curator Charles Farris will be exploring what the Tower of London was like in the medieval times.  

We’ll step into the Medieval Palace, walking in the footsteps of the kings, queens, and communities who built these walls.  

In the 13th century, the Tower was expanded into the fortress we recognise today, but what can we learn from it, and how was it used by the people who lived and worked in its shadow?  

Join us next Thursday for our first episode on the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London.