Banqueting House at Whitehall (Photo: Grahampurse/CC BY-SA 4.0)
Palaces were the residences of monarchs, but they were also buildings where the business of state was carried out. Within their walls intrigues, murders, love affairs, and deaths—the full pageant of British history—took place and royal magnificence was displayed.
Siobhan Clarke, a guide for the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, offers a look inside four significant historic sites. Using maps, paintings, and photographs, she introduces the splendid corridors of royal power and pleasure. Clarke has written books on the Tudor period, been featured on BBC radio and television, and has given tours and lectured for Historic Royal Palaces for more than 20 years.
April 28 Majesty and Menace: The Tower of London
The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history since 1066, and today is one of the world’s major visitor attractions. Made famous as a prison and royal execution site, it has always served many other purposes. Discover a colorful royal palace, menagerie, armory, and the home of the spectacular Crown Jewels, still regularly used by HM the King.
May 5 Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace: Hampton Court
Trace the footsteps of the most famous English king through his only surviving pleasure palace and find out how Henry VIII created an image of himself as a magnificent monarch. Step back in time to get a sense of being alive in 16th-century England and discover the dress, sumptuous tapestries, and art collection of the Tudor court.
May 12 The Jewel in the Lost Crown: The Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace
With a magnificent ceiling painted by Peter Paul Rubens, this palace was built for grandeur and became famous as the scene of the execution of King Charles I. Clarke surveys its classical architecture and Baroque art; seismic events in constitutional history; and how Parliament dared to kill a king.
May 19 Royals at Home: Kensington Palace
Go behind the scenes of generations of British royal families, exploring life in the spectacular 300-year-old Kensington Palace, renowned for its royal residents from Queen Victoria and Princess Diana to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Examine how they have used the palace from the late 17th century to the present day.
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