Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

Thomas Cromwell - Architect of the Reformation? 21.05.2026 1sa 3dk

Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious court of Henry VIII, his journey to power reveals so much about the opportunities and dangers of the Tudor period. In this final episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman explores the real story of a man often seen as a villain. Joined by Chief Curator Eleri Lynn, she discusses the Reformation, Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell's all-important relationship with Henry VIII. Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Eleri in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

Thomas More – The Man Who Defied Henry VIII? 07.05.2026 50dk

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 break with Rome would be his salvation, and his destruction. In this episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Dr Joanne Paul to examine the truth behind Thomas More's legacy. Was he a saintly man of conscience in a court filled with grasping politicians, or a self-righteous heretic hunter? And what does his story tell us about Henry VIII? Watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Joanne in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace. Read more about Sir Thomas More's life and legacy.

Thomas Wolsey - Henry VIII's Powerful Chief Minister 23.04.2026 48dk

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's Lord Chancellor. He was even known as 'The Other King', and built a palace that rivalled Henry VIII's. This spectacular rise was only matched by the drama of his fall. In this first episode of our new series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Elizabeth Norton to explore Wolsey's time in Henry's court. How powerful was he? Why did he fall from Henry VIII's favour? And what legacy did he leave behind? Read more about Thomas Wolsey and see inside his palace at Hampton Court on our website.

The Last Princesses of Punjab 16.04.2026 48dk

The Last Princesses of Punjab left behind legacies that continue to resonate today, but what impact did these women have and how should we remember them? In this final episode in our series, we join Curators Dr Mishka Sinha and Polly Putnam, as they chat to researcher and collector Peter Bance, and Dr Nadhra Shahbaz, Associate Professor of the Art and Architecture of Punjab. What were the sisters' legacies and how can we find meaning in them today? Read more about the extraordinary life of Catherine Duleep Singh, LGBTQ+ Icon and 'gurantor' for Jewish refugees. Find out more about The Last Princesses of Punjab and book tickets to our exhibition at Kensington Palace.

The Duleep Singh Sisters - From Debutantes to Defiance 09.04.2026 1sa 1dk

The Duleep Singh sisters went from Victorian Debutantes in high society, to defiant changemakers in the 20th century, but how did this change happen? Join Curators Dr Mishka Sinha and Polly Putnam, alongside Dr Sumita Mukherjee and Dr Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, to explore how the sister's heritage and individual indefinites led them to explore defiance in their lives. Find out more about The Last Princesses of Punjab and book tickets to our exhibition at Kensington Palace.

The Duleep Singh Family – Queen Victoria & Empire 26.03.2026 51dk

The lives of the Duleep Singh sisters were deeply impacted by Queen Victoria's Empire in India, and their father's displacement as the last Maharaja of the Punjab, yet they lived a life of privilege as aristocrats in Victorian Britain. Join Curators Dr Mishka Sinha and Polly Putnam, alongside Dr Priya Atwal, to explore the early lives of Princesses Sophia, Catherine and Bamba. How did Empire impact their childhoods, and who were the women who shaped them, from Queen Victoria to their Grandmother Maharani Jind Kaur. Read about Queen Victoria role in the British Empire. Find out more about The Last Princesses of Punjab and book tickets to our exhibition at Kensington Palace.

Hampton Court Palace - Tudor vs Baroque 12.03.2026 46dk

Hampton Court is a palace of two halves and countless stories. But which side is best? The Tudor half displays all the court intrigue of the dynasty it's named for, and yet the Baroque side is no less dramatic, holding the stories of the Restoration, Glorious Revolution, and Georgians within its decorative walls. Join Tracy Borman and Gareth Russell on a private tour of this palace of two halves, as they each make their case for which side is best. The Tudor, or the Baroque? Find out more about the story of Hampton Court Palace.

Women of the 'Glorious Revolution' - Mary of Modena & Mary II 26.02.2026 1sa 9dk

Mary of Modena and Mary II are two Queens whose lives have been lost in the story of the 'Glorious Revolution'. Yet they were fundamental to the machinations of the turbulent late 1600s, where heightened religious tension made for dangerous politics at the Stuart court. So for today's episode, we're bringing them back into the centre of the story. Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by Assistant Research Curator Holly Marsden and Dr Breeze Barrington to reveal the women behind the 'Glorious Revolution.'

Margaret Beaufort – Matriarch of the Tudors 12.02.2026 1sa 3dk

Margaret Beaufort was a leading figure in the tumultuous Wars of the Roses and would go on to become the matriarch of the Tudor Dynasty. Mother to Henry VII and a key player in bringing the Tudors to the throne, was Margaret a manipulative schemer as she has sometimes been portrayed, or instead a resilient survivor of trauma and decades of civil conflict? To better understand Margaret in the context of her time, Curator Charles Farris is joined by historians Dr Joanna Laynesmith and Lauren Johnson, as they explore the power and perception of this 15th century matriarch.

William Shakespeare - Playwright to The King 29.01.2026 44dk

On the 1st of Janurary, 1604, Hampton Court Palace hosted a performance by William Shakespeare's acting troupe, The King's Men. They were booked to perform for the new King of England, James VI of Scotland, and one of the plays that they chose was 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. What did it mean to be part of 'The King's Men'? How did Shakespeare's relationship with James VI and I shape his life and his plays? In this episode, Curator Brett Dolman welcomes Dr Will Tosh to the Great Hall at Hampton Court, one of few surviving places where we can tread in Shakespeare's footsteps, to discuss the nature and impact of royal patronage on Jacobean theatre. Read more about Shakespeare at Hampton Court Palace on our website. Dive into the history of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with blogs from The Globe. Buy Will Tosh's book 'Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare' here.

Empress Matilda - The Anarchy, Queenship & Power 15.01.2026 1sa 7dk

Empress Matilda wielded an extraordinary amount of power during the period known as the Anarchy in the 12th century, yet she just missed out on being crowned the first queen regnant in England. Originally chosen as heir for her abilities as a ruler, Matilda was determined to fight her cause when her throne was usurped by her cousin Stephen. But how was she viewed by contemporaries, and what is the legacy she left behind? Join Curator Charles Farris, alongside Professors Louise Wilkinson and Elisabeth Van Houts, for an in depth look into how Matilda pushed the limits and possibilities of female power. Who was her counter-part – Queen Matilda, and how did these women conform to, or disrupt medieval expectations of Queenship?

The Tower's Medieval Past through Archaeology 01.01.2026 31dk

Archaeology can offer us new discoveries into the Tower of London's medieval past, as well as insights into the lives of the community that lived and worked there. In 2019, and in the summer of 2025, we undertook one of the most important excavations at the Tower for a generation, just outside the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula. Now for the first time ever, we have detailed information about the ordinary people who lived, worshipped, and died at the Tower, but what more can we learn from these excavations? To find out more, we join Alfred Hawkins, Curator of Historic Buildings. Read about the recent archaeological digs at the Tower of London in our blog posts: Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part I | Historic Royal Palaces Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part II | Historic Royal Palaces

What Did the Tudors Eat for Christmas? 18.12.2025 47dk

What was on the table for a Tudor Christmas dinner? From the lavish feasts of Henry VIII to the sugar delicacies gifted to Elizabeth I, Christmas at court was a spectacle to behold and to taste! But for ordinary people, the preservation of meats, cheese, fruit and vegetables was essential to even last the winter. In this episode, Hampton Court Palace's Historic Kitchens Team discuss the culture and festivities of the Christmas period in 16th Century England, and share their experimental approaches to researching Tudor life through food. Watch the team recreate the traditional Boar's Head as a desert on our YouTube channel!

The Lie that Started the Stuarts 04.12.2025 36dk

The lie that started the Stuart Dynasty in England, also shaped the end of the Tudor era. But how can we better understand how this fiction was created, and ultimately who it benefitted? In this final episode of our Stolen Tudor Crown series with Chef Historian Tracy Borman, we delve into the end of Elizabeth I's reign, and the manuscripts written by William Camden that document it. What is truth and what is fiction, and how would the consequences of it all turn into a bitter civil war within decades? For a signed copy of Tracy Borman's new book The Stolen Crown, visit our online shop. Read about the reign of James VI & I. Watch our YouTube video about the death of Charles I.

Arbella Stuart - Elizabeth I's Forgotten Heir 20.11.2025 51dk

Today Arbella Stuart is Elizabeth I's forgotten heir, yet during her lifetime she was raised in the belief that she might one day be Queen. Her life can be viewed as tragically romantic, but is there much more to her story then that? What agency did Arbella wield, or was she completely controlled by the forces around her? In this episode, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by historian Sarah Gristwood to explore the forgotten story of Arbella Stuart. Learn more about the life of Arbella Stuart.

Guy Fawkes - Legacy of the Gunpowder Plot 06.11.2025 33dk

Guy Fawkes, the man behind the iconic rhyme has just failed to light the fuse of the Gunpowder Plot, one of the most notable plots in British history. In this second episode of our two-part series, Curators Charles Farris, Brett Dolman and Alden Gregory talk through the failure of the plot and what relevance this has to us today. Why do we still celebrate it?

Why Did The Gunpowder Plot Happen? 06.11.2025 30dk

In November 1605, a group of religious radicals attempted to assassinate King James I, the man they deemed responsible for their oppression. Guy Fawkes was meant to light the fuse, bringing the Houses of Parliament down in a catastrophic explosion. He failed. But what drove him and the other plotters to this drastic action? In this re-released episode, hear from curators Charles Farris, Alden Gregory, and Brett Dolman, as they discuss the context of religious persecution and political discontent that led to the Gunpowder Plot. Discover more about Guys Fawkes and the Tower of London.

Elizabeth I's Uncrowned Heirs 23.10.2025 32dk

Who were the many uncrowned heirs to Elizabeth I, and how did their role as unnamed successors shape their lives? In this second episode of the series, we're back with Chief Curator Tracy Borman, as she follows the Tudor family tree back to Henry VII, to unpick the complicated web of successors to Elizabeth I's throne. Find out more about the claimants to the Tudor Crown. Read about the tragic story of Lady Katherine Grey. Learn more about Edward VI's nursery at Hampton Court Palace.

The Stolen Tudor Crown with Tracy Borman 09.10.2025 27dk

What is the story we think we know about the Elizabethan succession? Was it a smooth transition to the Stuarts, or was it a stolen Tudor crown? In this first episode of our four-part series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman will talk us through why Elizabeth I never named an heir, and what repercussions that had for the end of the Tudor dynasty. Find out more about Elizabeth's brush with death in 1562. Read more about the reign of Elizabeth I. For a signed copy of Tracy Borman's new book The Stolen Crown, visit our online shop.

Introducing The Stolen Tudor Crown – NEW SERIES 02.10.2025 2dk

The story of the end of the Tudor dynasty is well known. With the death of Elizabeth I, the accension of James VI & I saw the Stuarts take the English throne. But the truth behind the succession is much darker than a peacful transition, it's a tale full of treachery and deceit. In this four-part series, Chief Historian Tracy Borman will explore the Stolen Tudor Crown. Who were the front runners to win the race to the throne after Elizabeth I's death, and ultimately how did James Stuart win? What might have been different had the Tudor crown gone to another? Join us next Thursday for the first episode of The Stolen Tudor Crown series.