Basic HTML Version
24
City & Village Tours: 0845 812 5000 info@cityandvillagetours.com
Hampton Court Palace & The Secrets of the Royal Bed Chamber
Hampton Court Palace is, of course, vast! We invite
you to tame this wonderful part Tudor, part Baroque
beast by visiting in the safe hands of a Blue Badge
guide who knows the history, the best stories, the
juiciest Royal gossip and of course, their way around!
This year is a great time to come because your day
will include a visit to a very special exhibition full
of intrigue, drama, surprise and some great furniture:
The Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber
. At the heart
of the exhibition will be six magnificent, royal beds.
For the first time ever the world’s largest and rarest
collection of early state beds will be presented in one
dramatic display which tells the story of how and
why the bedchamber became the most public and
important destination in the Palace.
Through the stories of their royal owners and
servants, visitors will be able to explore the elaborate,
sometimes bizarre bedchamber rituals and unusual
sleeping arrangements as well as enjoying the
luxurious excesses of the Stuart and Hanoverian
courts. Discover what really took place in the royal
bedchamber where heirs were born, marriages
consummated, monarchs were struck down and died,
and important affairs of state were conducted in this
most intimate of rooms. All of these events took place
before an audience of courtiers, politicians and family
members, who turned everyday life for the monarch
into a grand performance.
Inspired by the French fashion of the levée, the
monarch would meet courtiers and ministers during
an elaborate morning ceremony, during which the
most privileged of his servants, woke, washed and
dressed the King before the business of the day
began. Courtiers fought each other tooth and nail
for the intimate roles of ‘groom of the stool’ or the
‘necessary woman’. Here is Queen Anne’s grand
velvet state bed ordered by the dying queen in her
final year as childless, after many sad losses, she
faced the prospect of her dynasty ending with her
death. The exhibition tells the true story behind
James II’s infamous ‘Warming Pan Bed’ – the scene
of the royal birth that led to the beginning of the end
of the Stuart line. An exceptional but modest
survivor is the unique ‘travelling bed’ of George II
which comes apart into 54 pieces and is testament
to a time when the King and his court were often
on the move.
You can enjoy this entertaining exhibition as part
of a day at Hampton Court Palace in the company of
one of our Award Winning Blue Badge Guides - the
best in the business. Arrive to meet our expert Blue
Badge guide at Hampton Court Palace at 10.30am
and start the day with time to buy morning
refreshments. We’ll begin the day by telling you