Insights and behind the scenes from our palaces
The Death of Elizabeth of York at the Tower of London
05 July 2024
Tracy Borman delves into the story behind the death of the original Tudor Queen, within the walls of this royal fortress.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part II
24 May 2024
The next step in our search was to look at sources and pictures on William III's life before he arrived in England, and his first court, to attempt to discover more about this young man, and why he might have been painted with the King.
Searching for the Young Black Man in the Portrait of William III, Part I
17 May 2024
A young Black man dressed in blue and gold holding a helmet stands beside William III in a portrait that is a focal point of our exhibition: Untold Lives: A Palace at Work. Who was he? Where did he live and when? Why is he in the painting with William III? And how can historians unravel the mystery surrounding him?
'The new Terrors of Death': Dr John Arbuthnot, Queen Anne’s favourite physician
11 March 2024
Dr John Arbuthnot was among the army of medical specialists who were summonsed to serve the Royal family in the 18th century. Arbuthnot is little remembered today, but he was 'the Queen’s favourite physician' — a gentle-mannered confidante to courtiers, politicians, poets, writers and ladies-in-waiting alike.
The Boy on the Staircase: Peter 'the Wild Boy' from Hanover
11 March 2024
In 1726 the arrival of a 'wild youth' in the Great Drawing Room of St James's Palace caused a London sensation. A boy in his early teens had been found in German woods 'wild, naked… and knowing nobody'. Brought to England, he was nicknamed Peter 'the wild boy'.
A Glimpse into the World of Two Royal Cooks
11 March 2024
When it came to conjuring up the smell and heat of long-abandoned royal kitchens for Untold Lives, we turned to two cooks’ books which won’t be found on today's kitchen shelves.
'Below Stairs' in Sickness, Death and Old Age
29 February 2024
What happened to those who worked in the royal palaces when they fell ill, grew old, or when they died, leaving loved ones behind?
Royal Wetnurses: the 'Foster Mothers' of the Georgian Nursery
24 March 2022
Ahead of Mother's Day, we share the lesser-known histories of the women employed as wetnurses in the Royal Nursery. Taking on the role of 'foster mother' to young princes and princesses, they often developed a close personal bond with the royal family and received mementos that were passed down in families for generations.