Historic Royal Palaces

Daffodils in bloom with the historic Tower of London in the background under a clear blue sky.

A row of pale green and white flowers lines a pathway in a garden. The path leads to a small, distant structure, surrounded by trees and potted plants. A blue sky is overhead.

Purple crocuses blooming in a grassy area, with a blurred path and lush greenery in the background under a blue sky.

A field of bright yellow daffodils with some purple crocuses scattered among them. In the background, there is a large tree and a red-brick building partially visible, surrounded by greenery. The scene is sunlit, suggesting a sunny day.

Some blue skies and blooms to cheer up your feed 😎 Who else is excited to see pops of colour appearing across the palace gardens 🙋‍♀️

📍The Tower of London, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, and The Wilderness at Hampton Court Palace

Statue of Queen Victoria surrounded by a pool and tall grasses, with Kensington Palace in the background under a clear blue sky.

Kensington Palace in the morning sunlight 🌅

Did you know Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise designed this iconic statue on the West Front 🏰 It was unveiled in 1893 to celebrate Victoria’s Golden Jubilee 👑

A historical illustration depicting the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at St. James's Palace on February 10, 1840. The scene includes clergy, attendants, and guests dressed in period clothing, gathered in an ornate setting.

#OTD in 1840 Queen Victoria married Prince Albert 💍 It was the first royal wedding to be arranged with the enjoyment of the London public in mind. Victoria travelled in an open carriage so everyone could see her! 👋

She wore a white satin court dress, a style followed by many brides ever since 👰‍♀️

What is your most surprising historical fact? 🤔 We'll go first...

Hampton Court Palace is home to the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze 🤯 It was commissioned around 1700 by William III and covers a third of an acre!

On this day in 1649 Charles I was executed outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall.

He remains the only English monarch to have been tried and executed for treason.

#Onthisday in 1901 Queen Victoria died. She was 81 years old and had reigned for 63 years, 7 months and 2 days 👑

She was born at Kensington Palace in 1819, she opened the palace to the public in 1899 🏰

She had already opened Hampton Court, a palace in which she never lived, to visitors in 1839.

Introducing The Rest Is History Festival!

4th-5th July 2026, Hampton Court Palace.

Exclusively available to members of The Rest Is History Club.

If you could meet any historical monarch, who would it be and why? 👑 🤔

Thank you so much! We are happy to be here 😊🏰

View of the White Tower, the central keep of the Tower of London, under clear blue skies.

View of Kew Palace from a grassy field, with trees partially framing the scene and people enjoying the sunny day outside.

View of Hillsborough Castle, with a grand facade featuring columns and a large pediment, set against a clear sky. A fountain is positioned in the foreground.

🎉 Happy New Year from Historic Royal Palaces 🏰

Close-up of a vibrant red ceramic poppy with many similar poppies around it, set against the backdrop of the historic Tower of London under a clear blue sky.

Exhibit at a museum displaying various historical outfits, including a prominent red coat and other garments, enclosed in a glass case with informational panels nearby.

Child in a historical costume being assisted by an adult, looking at their reflection in a handheld mirror in a brightly lit room.

Two children posing with plush toys of Winnie the Pooh characters next to a large, colorful stack of 'Hunny' pots in front of Hillsborough Castle.

Our 2025 Wrapped 🎁

🌺 The Tower Remembers at the Tower of London
👗 Dress Codes at Kensington Palace
📚 The launch of our Inspiring History Teaching Awards
🏛️ Reopening of the The Banqueting House following conservation work
🍯 Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Hunt at Hillsborough Castle © Disney

Sculpture of a figure in green medieval attire resting their head against a brick wall, holding a bag, with a wooden cane tucked under one arm.

A wooden statue wearing red and white stripes lying down on some wooden steps

That Boxing Day feeling 😴 How are we all doing, anyone fancy a mince pie? 🎄

📍 Base Court, Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace in the snow

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in the snow

Kew palace with a frosty garden in front

The Tower of London with snow falling

Merry Christmas from everyone at Historic Royal Palaces 🎄

View of a Lady Alice's Temple reflected in a pond surrounded by lush green trees at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, Northern Ireland.

Lucy Worsley in a Santa hat seated at a table beside a Christmas tree, reviewing papers in a festive cafe decorated with lights.

🥁 It is time to announce the winner of the Historic Royal Palaces #PalacePhoto competition... 📸

🏆 Over to our esteemed judge Lucy Worlsey to choose the winning photo... Congratulations to @borntotravel1981 with a photo of Lady Alice's Temple at Hampton Court Palace

Lucy Worsley in a Santa hat sitting at a table with photographs, Christmas cards, and a vibrant Christmas tree in the background in a warmly decorated room.

Orange tree in the foreground with ripe oranges, set against the backdrop of the historic and ornately designed Hampton Court Palace.

View of Lady Alice's Temple at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in the foreground, lush green trees, and a white classical-style pavilion under a vivid blue sky with fluffy clouds.

A raven perched on a wooden bench at the Tower of London with red ceramic poppies and lush green grass in the background.

🏆 It's time to judge the #PalacePhoto of the year competition with our esteemed judge @lucy_worsley 🎊

👏 Congratulations to our shortlist: @mymyinthewild @speddingh_53178 @borntotravel1981 @lady_loxtons_tudoradventures @nicolas.bicorne.photos @TheTravelingPierogi

Want to find out more about historic food and Christmas traditions? Listen to our latest Historic Royal Palaces podcast episode! 🎧

Spotify 👉 bit.ly/49eLApw
Apple 👉 bit.ly/3Y2ubKt

On the tables would be delicacies including suckets, ‘kissing comfits’, ‘Spanish paps [nipples]’ and often elaborate subtleties, which were like illusion cakes - Elizabeth I once received a marchpane chessboard! ♟️ 2/3

The hands of a person decorating a subtlety in the shape of a small detailed figurine

How to end a feast the Tudor way: enter the void 🍖

Following a feast in the great hall of a palace, there would be a private banquet of sugary treats for the monarch and their special guests to indulge in. This was called 'the void’. 1/3

View of the meticulously manicured gardens at Hampton Court Palace, featuring symmetrical topiaries, a central fountain, and tree-lined pathways under a cloudy sky.

Kew Palace, a striking red brick building with white trim, overlooked by a clear blue sky. In front, an ornate garden with geometric hedge designs and a central fountain, dusted in frost.

Sunlight filters through tall trees in a serene park, illuminating a path leading to a small, classical-style dome structure nestled among the foliage.

A serene view of a garden with lush green trees and a reflective pond, featuring a small classical-style gazebo in the background.

There’s history around every corner at our palaces and we love seeing how you capture it 📸 Every year we crown the winner of the #PalacePhoto Competition 🏆

Our esteemed judge, Lucy Worsley, will be making her choice soon, so get your entries in now! Just tag us or use the hashtag #PalacePhoto 🏰

Prince Albert drawing the Queen and Princess Royal in their Sledge, at Brighton. The image depicts a historical scene with three individuals in a horse-drawn sleigh on a snowy landscape.

Caption this:

We'll go first 👉 POV: On our way to sleigh this Christmas 🎄 ❄️

Portrait of Queen Charlotte wearing an elegant dress and pearl earrings, looking to her right.

Kew Palace, a striking red brick building with multiple chimneys, surrounded by a formal garden with symmetrical beds and a central fountain.

#Onthisday in 1818 Queen Charlotte died at Kew Palace 🏰

Charlotte died surrounded by her daughters Augusta and Mary, the Prince Regent and the Duke of York 🕯️ Her coffin lay in the dining room at Kew, lit by six candles in large silver candlesticks, before being taken to Windsor Castle.

Red ceramic poppies displayed in front of the Tower of London, symbolizing remembrance.

We will remember them.

📍 The Tower Remembers, Tower of London.
#RemembranceDay

By 1945, Balloon Command disbanded, but the Tower’s balloon left a lasting mark ☁️

A medieval fortress had become a wartime defender of the skies 🏰 (5/5)

Read more in our latest blog ➡️ bit.ly/TOLBarrageBa...

A black and white photograph of a group of women in military uniform.

In 1941, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) took over balloon duties. Despite doubts, they proved tough and capable, operating heavy winches, battling weather, and facing enemy fire 💪 By the end of 1942, 15,700 WAAFs had replaced 10,000 male balloon operators across the UK

📸 (IWM CH 9441) (4/5)

A photograph of a barrage balloon floating above the Tower of London.

By 1940, as the Blitz raged, the Tower’s moat hosted a full balloon crew 🔥 They worked through air raids, fires, storms, even surviving a breakaway balloon and a nearby unexploded landmine 💥

📸 A barrage balloon in the West Moat 1940 (3/5)

A black and white photograph of people preparing a barrage balloon in the moat at the Tower of London.

On 8 Oct 1938, the RAF tested a barrage balloon over the Tower, a striking sign of Britain’s preparations for war.

The “castles of the air” forced enemy aircraft to fly higher, the increased altitude disrupted the aim of attacking planes and made them easier to shoot down during air raids ✈️ (2/5)

A black and white photograph of a barrage balloon over the Tower of London. A crowd of people are stood watching.

The Tower of London’s moat has protected the fortress for hundreds of years ⛓️ During the Second World War, it helped protect the city from the sky; with a giant hydrogen-filled barrage balloon 🎈

📸 1939: Balloon over the Tower (ACME / Historic Royal Palaces) 🧵👇 (1/5)

An historic stone building with a pub sign reading 'The Keys' at nighttime

Did you know our Yeoman Warders live at the Tower of London? 🏰

When the visitors go home, it’s like a unique village inside our fortress’ walls - the Yeoman Warders even have their own pub called The Keys! 🗝️