A new Hampton Court Palace exhibition opens March 17 exploring the bedchamber of the 17th and 18th century royal court
This spring, Historic Royal Palaces will transform Hampton Court’s Baroque Palace with a special exhibition full of intrigue, drama and surprise – at its heart 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.
The exhibition will also offer a rare glimpse into architect John Vanbrugh’s Prince of Wales’s Apartments – opened for the first time in 20 years.
Through the stories of their royal owners and servants, visitors will be able to explore the elaborate, sometimes bizarre bedchamber rituals, unusual sleeping arrangements and enjoy 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 all the while important affairs of state were conducted in this most personal of rooms.
These remarkable State Beds have undergone extensive conservation and restoration over some fifty years. Each bed has a dramatic, and often tragic, story to tell.
March 17 – November 3
10.00 – 16.30
Tickets can be purchased on the day or in advance by telephone 0844 482 7799
