London Palaces

The monarchy is a constant source of fascination and intrigue for London visitors and residents alike. Ever since William the Conqueror used Westminster Abbey for his coronation in 1066, London has been the royal capital of Great Britain. Successive Kings and Queens have since left their indelible mark throughout the city. From Henry VIII's string of palaces to the party halls and follies of James I, London is a treasure trove of the ornate, the ostentatious and the extraordinary.

Tower of London

Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB
One thousand year-old prison, palace and place of execution.

With over 1000 years of royal history lurking within its highly fortified walls, a trip to the Tower of London is like being involved in one of the most spectacular dramas of all time. Make your way from Traitor's Gate to join Sir Walter Raleigh in the Bloody Tower as he awaits his fate for allegedly plotting against James I. Follow in the unfortunate footsteps of Queen Anne Boleyn as she walks to meet her tragic fate at the scaffold on Tower Green. Join Edward I in the court revelry within the Medieval Tower and admire Henry VIII's armour, weaponry and torture instruments in the White Tower before being dazzled by the array of royal jewels, crowns and diamonds encased in the Jewel and Martin Towers. With its stunning riverside backdrop, the Tower has been used as a prison, palace and place of execution, arsenal, mint and menagerie, since its construction following the Norman Conquest of 1066. After King Henry VIII's break with the Catholic Church it housed religious prisoners including two of Henry VIII's six wives (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard), both of whom were beheaded on the scaffolds at Tower Green. It is now one of the most famous structures in the world and hosts a range of exhibitions and re-enactments which celebrate and represent some of the most spectacular aspects of its gory and glorious past.

Best for:
Traitor's Gate, treason and the Bloody Tower, ravens, Beefeaters, ghosts and executions.

Also known as:
The White Tower.

Did you know??
About 150 people still live within the walls of the Tower of London, these are mainly the Yeoman Warders (or 'Beefeaters') and their families.

Current events at Tower Of London

British Sign Language Tours event Sunday 19th February
TIMES Sunday 19th February 2012 - 10.30am-4.30pm PRICING £18.70, child £10.45, concs £15.95, family £51.70
A BSL-interpreted tour of the Tower.... More about this event

Tower Twilight Tours (Over 12s) event running until Wednesday 29th February 2012
TIMES 8th Feb, 15th Feb, 23rd Feb and 29th Feb 2012 - 7pm-8.30pm PRICING £25, 10% discount for historic royal palaces members
... More about this event

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Hampton Court Palace

East Molesey, Surrey, London, KT8 9AU
Oldest surviving Tudor palace in England.

Travel through over 500 years of rich royal history reflected in the palace's varied and stunning mix of Baroque and Tudor architecture. The winding corridors, lavish State Apartments, expansive Tudor kitchens, immaculate 60-acre riverside gardens and maze together make Hampton Court the oldest surviving Tudor palace in England. From the early 1500s when King Henry VIII's lavish re-decoration and extension transformed Cardinal Wolsey's country seat into a palace more than fit for a king, through to 1996 when fires ripped through the King's Apartments, Hampton Court has undergone a raft of changes. In 1689 King William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild the palace. Thankfully, lack of money and time prevented total demolition of the building and Henry VIII's Tudor palace remains to this day - a testimony to the estate's original and most celebrated owner. The palace also houses one of the most important works of the Italian Renaissance - Andreas Mantegna's 'Triumphs of Caesar'. This formidable sequence of nine paintings is on permanent display in the Lower Orangery. No trip to Hampton Court is complete without a visit to the world's oldest and largest vines, a stroll around the glorious formal and informal riverside gardens and a tour around the world-famous trapezoidal maze - part of William III's Wilderness Garden and the oldest surviving hedge maze still in use. A revolutionary audio installation brings the maze alive for visitors. Using fragments of music, snatches of laughter, the seductive rustling of fine silks and snatches of covert conversations the audio installation brings to life an age when the maze symbolised an opportunity for secrecy, subterfuge and seduction.

Best for:
Henry VIII, Tudor and Baroque architecture, mazes, vines and Tudor kitchens.

Did you know??
Henry VIII's palace kitchens occupied over 50 rooms - an area of 3000sq ft. Over 200 people worked in them, providing two meals a day for over 800 members of the court.

Current events at Hampton Court Palace

Describer Escorted Visits: Tour event Thursday 9th February
TIMES Thursday 9th February 2012 - 10.30am-3.30pm PRICING £15.95, child £8, concs £13.20, family £43.46
A tour for blind and partially sighted visitors.... More about this event

Ghost Tours event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 10th Feb, 12th Feb, 17th Feb, 19th Feb, 24th Feb and 26th Feb 2012 - 7pm PRICING £25, Feb 3, 12, 24 phone for availability
... More about this event

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Kensington Palace (State Apartments)

Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4PX
Birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to Princess Diana.

Originally a private country house, public visitors are now warmly welcomed into Kensington Palace - the birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to Princess Diana between 1981 and 1997. Relive the moment in the Victorian Rooms when the young Princess Victoria discovered that she was to become Queen. Admire the family portraits and original furnishings adorning the homely Queen's Apartments. Revel in the grandeur of the King's Apartments, saturated with paintings and works of art from the Royal Collection, and find sanctuary in the calming Cupola Room where Princess Victoria was christened. On permanent display inside the palace is the famed Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection bursting at the seams with outfits from the 18th century to the present day including a range of glamorous dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and an array of spectacular and unique evening gowns modelled by Diana, Princess of Wales. No tour of the palace is complete without taking a turn around the elegant 18th century Orangery and Sunken Garden designed to host elaborate court entertainments during the reign of Queen Anne.

Best for:
Princess Diana and Queen Victoria, dresses, family portraits, Orangery and sunken gardens.

Did you know??
In 1725-6 King George I introduced a number of exotic animals into the gardens of Kensington Palace - including three tigers and two extremely rare civet cats.

Kensington Palace (State Apartments) - Tickets and Information

Current events at Kensington Palace State Apartments

The Enchanted Palace event running until Monday 31st December 2012
TIMES 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2012 - Various Times PRICING £12.50, concs £11, family £34, under 16s £6.25, under 5s Free, online booking £11.50, concs £10, family £31, under 16s £5.75, under 5s Free
As Kensington Palace undergoes a Â£12 million renovation project, due for completion in 2012, there's a magi... More about this event

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Banqueting House

Whitehall, SW1A 2ER
The only surviving section of Whitehall Palace.

In its heyday the largest royal palace in Europe, this historic venue is the only surviving section of Whitehall Palace and still hosts many royal and social occasions. The palace originally started life in the 14th century as one of the Archbishop of York's homes. A devastating fire in the early 1600s led to the edifice being rebuilt by Inigo Jones - often credited as being the first Englishman to properly understand and apply the rules of classical and renaissance architecture. Due to its isolated position, the Banqueting House survived a second subsequent fire, which razed the rest of the palace to the ground and it eventually became a royal chapel. From Henry VIII to James I, the building echoes with royal connections, the most sinister of which has to be hosting the execution of Charles I during the English Civil War. Charles II marked his restoration to the throne here 20 years later. The building is as architecturally significant as it is historically celebrated, introducing as it did a delicate Italianate Renaissance style unmatched in Jacobean society. It was first building in England to use crown glass in its windows, while the fabulous Ruben's ceiling painting, commissioned by Charles I, is the only Rubens scheme painted by him to remain in its original position.

Best for:
Inigo Jones design, Rubens and royals, executions and events pageantry.

Did you know??
Revelry in the Great Hall was banned after the ceiling was decorated with nine paintings by Rubens for fear that candle smoke would ruin the artwork.

More info: Banqueting House Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Eltham Palace

Court Yard, off Court Road, London, SE9 5QE
Medieval palace with Art Deco extension.

Restored by English Heritage, this fantastic house offers visitors the chance to indulge in the opulence of 1930s Britain whilst at the same time experiencing the solidity and symbolism of medieval London. Eltham Palace began to evolve during the 15th century when Edward IV commissioned the Great Hall, which survives today as a testament to the craftsmanship of the period. It boasts the third largest hammer beam roof in the country and hosted many royal occasions, including Christmas festivities for Henry VIII who grew up at Eltham Palace. Henry VIII was the last monarch to spend significant time at the palace before it fell into disrepair. Many of the buildings were demolished and the site was used as a farm. In the 1930s a wealthy couple acquired the site, on the understanding that they would repair and maintain the medieval Great Hall. They added a stunning 1930s house, equipped to meet their every need, which boasted unique interior design and furnishings, coupled with the latest technology. This Art Deco masterpiece evokes the style and glamour of the 30s and is complimented by lush landscaped gardens, including a moated area, the remains of Henry VIII's hunting park, and a sunken rose garden. Visitors can enjoy the fascinating blend of medieval and modern design in the Great Hall and the 1930s house, explore the gardens and moated area, and have tea in the 1930s kitchens.

Best for:
Art Deco design, medieval architecture, Henry VIII, hunting parks and hammer beam roofs.

Did you know??
The Great Hall, once the scene of lavish feasts, was used as a barn after the Civil War.

Current events at Eltham Palace

Festive Family Fun Trail event Sunday 12th February until Wednesday 15th February
TIMES 12th Feb, 13th Feb, 14th Feb and 15th Feb 2012 - 11am-4pm PRICING £9.30, child £5.60, concs £8.40, family £24.20
... More about this event

The Queens Of Eltham Palace: LGBT History Month event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 12th February, 19th February and 26th February 2012 - 2pm-3.30pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

The Ladys Of Eltham Palace: Womens History Month event Sunday 4th March until Sunday 25th March
TIMES 4th Mar, 11th Mar, 18th Mar and 25th Mar 2012 - 2pm-2.30pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

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Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Road, SW1A 1AA
Official residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

England's most famous royal palace, and the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II, opens the doors of its State Rooms to the public every summer. Originally acquired by King George III for his wife Queen Charlotte, Buckingham Palace was increasingly known as the 'Queen's House' and 14 of George III's children were born there. On his accession to the throne, George IV decided to convert the house into a palace and employed John Nash to help him extend the building. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live in Buckingham Palace (from 1837). The State Rooms are now still used by the Royal Family to receive and entertain guests on State and ceremonial occasions. Visitors can admire some of the more unusual gifts received by the current Queen, including drawings by Salvador Dali, an embroidered silk scarf from Nelson Mandela and a grove of maple trees. Decorated in lavish fashion, the rooms include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Vermeer and Poussin, sculpture by Canova, exquisite examples of Sevres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. The Ball Supper Room, the setting for a host of sparkling events in the history of the palace, 29 acre gardens and annual exhibitions are all also available to visitors.

Best for:
Rembrandt, Rubens and Rooms of State, House of Windsor, ceremony and history, Nash architecture and design.

Did you know??
Queen Victoria ordered the removal of Marble Arch from the palace to its present position near Hyde Park in order to make way for more bedrooms.

Buckingham Palace - Tickets and Information

Windsor Castle

Windsor and Maidenhead, London, SL4 1NJ
Modernday Royal Residence

William the Conqueror chose to build a castle at Windsor more than 900 years ago to defend the western approach to the capital. As one of the Queen's official residences Windsor Castle still plays a formal role in State and official occasions. Visitors can marvel at St George's Chapel, which was founded by Edward IV back in 1475 and is one of the best examples of gothic architecture in the country. Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones were married there in June 1999. It is also the burial site for 10 sovereigns. Equally stunning is St George's Hall, which has been completely restored following a fire in 1992 and is still used by the Queen for state banquets and receptions. The State Apartments are also open to the public and are lavishly furnished with paintings by Rubens, Holbein and Rembrandt, sculpture and tapestries. In the Drawings Gallery, visitors have an opportunity to see artwork from the Royal Library and Queen Mary's Dolls' House will delight everyone with its perfect rooms and furnishings in miniature. Built on a scale of 1 to 12 the dolls' house was crafted in the 1920s.

Frogmore House

A mile south of Windsor Castle lies Frogmore House, one of Queen Victoria's favourite retreats. Originally acquired by Henry VIII in the sixteenth-century, the estate of Frogmore now forms part of Home Park in Windsor. The current house was originally built between 1680-1684 but was extended when George III bought it for his wife Queen Charlotte in 1792. Charlotte used Frogmore as a country retreat and held receptions and masques in the gardens. Following the death of her beloved Albert, Queen Victoria chose a site here for his mausoleum (tomb) just days after his death (1861) but it was not completed for another 10 years. Queen Victoria insisted that the interior of the mausoleum was decorated in the style of Raphael, whom Prince Albert considered the greatest artist of all time, and she held a regular ceremony there on the anniversary of his death (14th December) until her own death in January 1901 when her body was placed next to his.

Current events at Windsor Castle

The Queen: Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years event running until Tuesday 1st January 2013
TIMES 4 Feb 2012 - Jan 2013
The Queen: Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years is a visual recollection of The Queen's 60 years on the throne ... More about this event

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Palace of Westminster

The Houses of Parliament

Parliament Square, Westminster, St Margaret Street, SW1A 0AA
Home of politics.

Now more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace of Westminster began life as a royal residence in 1042 under Edward the Confessor. The major structure to survive various fires, Westminster Hall, was built between 1087-1100 and is one of the largest medieval halls in Europe with an unsupported hammerbeam roof. During the 14th century the hall housed shops and stalls selling wigs, pens and other legal equipment and the courts of law met there. Thomas More, Charles I and those accused of trying to blow up parliament (1605) were all tried in Westminster Hall. Following a fire in 1512, Henry VIII decided to abandon the palace and from this moment onwards it became home to the two seats of parliament - the Commons and the Lords. However, it was to suffer from another disastrous fire in 1834 and everything was lost except Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower. A competition was launched to redevelop the whole site. Sir Charles Barry was responsible for the mock gothic building that has become such a familiar landmark today; including the Clock Tower that houses Big Ben, the bell that chimes on the hour, and is home to the largest clock face in the country. Members of the public can watch debates when Parliament is in session. You don't need tickets in advance, but may have to queue. For the chance to watch Prime Minister's Question Time, it's advisable to obtain tickets in advance from your member of parliament or a Lord (British citizen) or you can queue on the day - although priority is given to ticket holders.

More info: Houses of Parliament Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Jewel Tower

Abingdon Street, SW1P 3JY
14th century royal tower.

Across the road from the imposing Houses of Westminster, this simple, three-storey, 14th century tower often gets overlooked on the tourist trail. One of only two buildings forming part of the Palace of Westminster to survive the fire of 1834, the Jewel Tower boasts a stunning, untouched 14th century ribbed vault that more than warrants the trip across the road from the main Westminster parliament buildings. Built in 1365, the tower was used by King Edward III to store his treasures and wardrobe - remains of the original moat and medieval quay designed to secure the building can still be seen today. Items on display now include the Speaker's robes from the collection of the Houses of Parliament and an interactive touch-screen computer providing a virtual reality tour of both Houses of Parliament.

Best for:
14th century vaulted ceiling, medieval remains and ruins.

Also known as:
King's Privy Wardrobe

Did you know??
From 1869 to 1938 the Jewel Tower served as a weights and measures office.

More info: Jewel Tower Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube