This week is the third part of our mini-series on spaces we love. We’ll be joining Assistant Curator Alfred Hawkins, who has chosen to take us into the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, at the Tower of London.

As the most important space in the White Tower, the Chapel Royal holds huge historic significance in representing the Norman Conquest’s power, control and religious dominance. Alfred explores how a recent project will protect this space of immeasurable importance, for generations to come.

To view inside the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, take our Virtual Tour with Google Arts & Culture.

This week we’re continuing our mini-series on treasured spaces with a trip to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland.

We’ll follow Research and Interpretation Producer Emma Lawthers, into the magnificent state dining room – a space that represents the political history of Northern Ireland, with a curious and unexpected connection to the birth of the United States of America.

Find out more about the history of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens:

https://www.hrp.org.uk/hillsborough-castle/history-and-stories/the-story-of-hillsborough-castle-and-gardens/

In this four part mini-series, we’re back exploring a selection of treasured spaces in our palaces with the people who know them best, our curators.

Each space has been personally chosen by our resident experts, revealing how immersing ourselves in a place can connect us to the past, and make us reflect on the present.

In this first episode we’ll follow Assistant Curator Minette Butler into a deceptively domestic space at Hampton Court Palace. The Oak Room tells the story of the palace after the Royals left, and serves as a charming symbol of the small Grace and Favour community who inherited it.

The Tudor world ushered in an age of wealth, magnificence, challenge and opportunity in the early 16th century. Hampton Court Palace stood at the heart of this period, as the home of Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII’s chief minister. But the Tudor story extends beyond the palace walls into the wider world, encompassing a time of exploration and exploitation.

In this episode, Curator Brett Dolman walks us through the oldest rooms at Hampton Court Palace, where a new permanent exhibition reveals the lives of the ordinary men and women who enabled the Tudor court to exist and thrive. Learn more about their everyday contributions to this fascinating period.

Explore more about The Tudor World in the Wolsey Rooms:

www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-tudor-world-in-the-wolsey-rooms/

Women played vital roles in the power struggles of the Wars of the Roses, but history hasn’t always been portrayed this way.

In this episode we’re putting women back in the narrative, from Margaret of Anjou right the way through to Elizabeth of York and the start of the Tudor Dynasty. Curator Charles Farris and Dr Joanna Laynesmith talk us through the key women of the Wars of the Roses.

Further Reading:

Tracy Borman’s articles on Elizabeth of York:

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/elizabeth-of-york/

https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/death-of-elizabeth-of-york-at-the-tower-of-london/

Rachel Delman’s article about Margaret of Anjou and Greenwich Palace:

https://rsj.winchester.ac.uk/articles/10.21039/rsj.326

Dr Joanna Laynesmith, The last medieval queens : English queenship 1445-1503

Dr Joanna Laynesmith, Cecily Duchess of York

The middle and end of the Wars of the Roses is arguably the most complicated period of this history, with big personalities and power players fighting for the top spot in the game of thrones.

In episode three of this series, we hope to unpack the reigns of Edward IV through to the Battle of Bosworth, asking along the way when the real end to the Wars of the Roses was?

Curator Charles Farris is joined by Historic Royal Palaces' Research Lead Dr Laura Tompkins and Dr James Ross from the University of Winchester.