Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

William the Conqueror may have invaded England in 1066, but he needed castles to truly conquer England.  
Castles became the physical embodiment of the Norman Conquest. These were described by many post-Conquest sources as unnatural, alien structures. But they could not be ignored. The English were forced to help build them, then the castles became the source of their subjugation.  
Of those first-generation Norman castles, none are more famous than the White Tower at the Tower of London. How and why did William build a castle in London? How was it used? And what does it tell us about Norman rule in England?

The Bayeux Tapestry features just three women among 600 male figures. But you can't tell its story without the powerful medieval women who shaped the Norman Conquest. 
In this second episode of our series, Janina Ramirez and Tracy Borman join Charles Farris to explore the Norman Conquest beyond 'two kings and a duke'.    
How did women wield power and influence in the early medieval period? Who survived and thrived in the new Norman regime? And why have historians excluded these women from the history books?
Learn more about Matilda of Flanders on our website.

William the Conqueror is one of the most famous figures in English history. But his coronation in 1066 was a disaster. Even as he was crowned as King of England, his future looked uncertain.
So, how did William go from this shaky start to forging the Norman dynasty? 
In this first episode of a new series on the aftermath of the Norman Conquest, Tower of London curator Charles Farris is joined by Dr Marc Morris and Dr Caroline Wilhelmsson. Together, they bust some well-worn myths about William and the famous events of 1066.
How did William the Conqueror really change England, and why are we still talking about him almost 1,000 years on?
Learn more about William the Conqueror on our website.

For hundreds of years, the Tower of London was home to animals from all over the world. Animals were given as diplomatic gifts, brought by hunters, or captured in the process of colonisation. 
What were conditions like for these animals? Who cared for them? And what does their presence at the Tower tell us about Britain's relationship with the wider world? 
In this episode, Curator Charles Farris is joined by Emma Shepley, a curator researching the Tower's Menagerie, and Dr Mishka Sinha, a historian of global history, to bring you this new and ongoing research. 
The episode contains discussion of animal cruelty, hunting, injury to people, and colonialism. 
Visit the Tower of London this summer to see Imagining Animals.

We might think of Queen Victoria as an elderly woman in black mourning dress, but she was only 18 when she came to the throne. 

Victoria spent much of her childhood at Kensington Palace. Here, a rigorous programme of education aimed to prepare her for the responsibility of ruling Britain and its Empire. Victoria believed her childhood was 'oppressive', but what was her schooling really like, and who was in charge of teaching her?  

In this episode, go behind the scenes of the so called 'Kensington System' with Assistant Curator Myles Campbell, and experience the place where Victoria studied for the crown.  
Read more about Victoria's life on our website.