How to Siege the Tower of London – The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
The Tower of London loomed large over the medieval city, casting a formidable shadow w ith its rings of high walls and towers, wide moat and...
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Talks and Lectures
A wide range of recorded lectures and talks from events at our palaces.
Episodes
20 of 210 episodesThe Beginnings of the Tower of London – William I's Norman Castle
William the Conqueror may have invaded England in 1066, but he needed castles to truly conquer England. Castles became the physical embodime...
Women of the Bayeux Tapestry – Medieval Power and Queenship
The Bayeux Tapestry features just three women among 600 male figures. But you can't tell its story without the powerful medieval women who s...
How Did William the Conqueror Hang On To Power After 1066?
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 crowne...
The Royal Menagerie - Animals at The Tower of London
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 h...
Queen Victoria's Education at Kensington Palace
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 spen...
Oliver Cromwell's Palace - Hampton Court During the Interregnum
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...
Charles I - The Execution of a 'Traitor' King at the Banqueting House
Charles I's execution was unprecedented and shocking. He staked everything on his divine right to rule – the same concept that inspired his...
Tudor Prisoners at the Tower of London - Stories in Graffiti
The walls of the Tower of London are covered with carvings - graffiti left behind by the prisoners who were locked inside. The Tudor monarch...
Queen Anne - A Woman of Contradictions with Gareth Russell
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 schem...
Benjamin Franklin's Curious Visit to Hillsborough Castle (From The Archive)
Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father, writer, inventor – remains one of the most famous visitors to Hillsborough Castle in its history. His v...
George III – 'Tyrant' King of the American Colonies?
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...
LGBTQ+ Histories at Our Palaces (From The Archive)
LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, but stories of this community are often obscured or misunderstood. We've de...
What Happened to Anne Boleyn's Family After Her Fall?
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 wa...
Growing Up in the House of Boleyn
The Boleyn family captivated Henry VIII – but who were they before their meteoric rise to fame? Who were the little-known women operating fr...
Thomas Cromwell - Architect of the Reformation?
Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious...
Thomas More – The Man Who Defied Henry VIII?
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 brea...
Thomas Wolsey - Henry VIII's Powerful Chief Minister
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'...
The Last Princesses of Punjab
T he Last P rincesses of Punjab left behind legacies that continue to resonate today, but w hat impact did these women have and how should w...
The Duleep Singh Sisters - From Debutantes to Defiance
The Duleep Singh sisters went from Victorian Debutantes in high society, to defiant changemakers in the 20 th century, but how did this chan...