Historic Royal Palaces- Your February at the palaces

 

FEBRUARY AT THE PALACES It's LGBT+ history month. Half-term is fast approaching. Our gardens are awakening and Life Through A Royal Lens - our new photography exhibition is opening in less than one month!  SCHOOLS OUT, HISTORIC ADVENTURES ARE IN Discover the world of Mary I at Hampton Court Palace for February half term (12- 20 February). Peek behind the scenes into Mary Tudor’s rocky realm on a journey through her five-year reign. Meet the people who knew her best and piece together the story of her rise and fall. Meet our historic cooks, warm up next to the blazing fire and take on the role of tournebroche - roasting the meat on the long metal spit, in her father, Henry VIII's Kitchens. Cunning and cruel, or quite the contrary? Does Mary I deserve her gory reputation? You decide. BOOK NOW › FRESH AIR AND FAMILY FUN Our enormous fire-breathing dragon is stirring, almost ready to awaken and open up the Magic Garden for you to enjoy over February half term. Filled with mythical beasts, secret hideouts, Tudor towers and lots of space to run free, our magical children's playground will be open from  12 - 20 February. THE MAGIC GARDEN ›

IT'S LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH LGBT+ histories can be found in the stories of all our palaces. However, same-sex love and desire and non-binary gender identities have been understood in different ways throughout history. Hear how the lives and loves of monarchs and courtiers changed the course of royal history and shaped public attitudes to sexuality in our recent online talk, 'A thousand years of kings, queens and in-betweens' - which we've unlocked for the whole of February. Register and watch the replay We'll be bringing you more LGBT+ palace stories throughout the month - so keep an eye on our social channels... WATCH THE REPLAY ›

ONLINE TALK: PICTURING THE QUEEN Imagine, for a moment, that you're a member of the royal family - for which twentieth-century photographer would you most like to sit? Join us for next online talk on 16 February, where our experts will discus the life and work of some photographic geniuses: Cecil Beaton, Dorothy Wilding, Tony Snowdon and Annie Leibovitz. Featuring unique and glamorous images of the royal family shortly to appear in the Kensington Palace exhibition 'Life Through A Royal Lens', you'll have to make up your mind about which photographer you'd chose! REGISTER ›

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY THIS SPRING

OPENING SOON: LIFE THROUGH A ROYAL LENS There's less than a month to go until our brand new exhibition, Life Through a Royal Lens opens at Kensington Palace Opening on 4 March, this new exhibition explores the Royal Family through photography. Featuring work from renowned photographers such as Cecil Beaton, Rankin, Annie Leibovitz and Norman Parkinson alongside a selection of images taken by Royal Family members themselves, this new temporary exhibition is a must see for 2022. BOOK ›

THE LINDT GOLD BUNNY HUNT RETURNS This Easter, the Lindt GOLD BUNNY hunt is back. And it's coming to not one, but two of our palaces! Book now to join in the fun at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace from 2-18 April. EASTER › RISE AND ROAR: QUIET SESSIONS IN THE MAGIC GARDEN Quiet sessions aimed at those living with or caring for someone with Autism, or those who have any other sensory needs, and their families and carers. Selected dates. Check our website for further details. BOOK › ARTISAN FETIVAL Celebrate spring with some good old-fashioned festival fun - with an artisanal twist from 13-15 May at Hampton Court Palace. Shop hand-crafted gifts, enjoy workshops, traditional fete games, music and tasty food and drink. BOOK ›