Historic Royal Palaces

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.

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

We will remember them.

📍 The Tower Remembers, Tower of London.
#RemembranceDay

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Barrage Balloons at the Tower of London in the Second World War When London faced the fury of the Blitz during the Second World War, the Tower of London found a new way to protect the city from the sky – a huge hydrogen-filled 'barrage balloon'.

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...

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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! 🗝️

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