Charleston | Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a Palace with Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill
2025-03-18 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Charleston Library Society, 164 King St, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States
Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a Palace
Regarded as perhaps the greatest of the stately homes and the finest example of baroque architecture in Great Britain, Blenheim, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, is a one of England’s treasure houses. Designed by John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor in the early 1700s for the Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim is filled with artistic treasures crafted by the best talents of the age. Fine furniture and magnificent tapestries highlight incredible paintings from notable artists such as Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent. The lavish rooms provide a window into the history of collecting, changing styles of English interiors, and reflects on England’s own history—as well as the history of the Spencer-Churchill family. Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, the 12th generation of the family, will give us an illustrated private tour of the palace—with new photography by Hugo Rittson. In addition to the gilded staterooms full of priceless objet d’arts, Lady Henrietta will show the family’s private apartments and take us behind-the-scenes into secret corridors and the “downstairs” staff area (with its iconic bell system). She will also share her first-hand experience as one of the palace’s stewards and explain the importance of Blenheim’s restoration, bringing the estate into the 21st century. Join us as we see Blenheim as it’s never been seen before!

Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill is an interior designer, founder of Woodstock Designs, and author of multiple Rizzoli books on design and historic styles, including The Life of the House, Blenheim and the Churchill Family, and Classic English Interiors. She lectures widely on design and design history in the US and the UK. Hugo Rittson-Thomas is a portrait photographer of many high-profile subjects, including the British royal family. His work has been published in Romantics and Classics, Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds, and Great Gardens of London.

VENUE
Charleston Library Society
164 King Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Or Call 212-480-2889 x206 to register!
In-Person: 6:00pm, Lecture is preceded by a reception
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged in to your Royal-Oak.org account

NYC | The Quest for Queen Mary
2025-04-10 18:00 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom, the Dominions, and Empress of India from 1910-1936. The daughter of a German nobleman and granddaughter of George III, she was always destined to become Queen. But what do we know about Queen Mary? First betrothed to the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, and after his unexpected death, married to his younger brother, the future King-Emperor George V. While some biographies, films, and television portray her as a rigid and cold figure in pearls, she was also a mother and grandmother—whose grandchildren said she loved the moments when they could be “a small family and do small things”. When the late Queen Elizabeth II invited author James Pope-Hennessy to write the official biography of her grandmother, he set off between 1955 and 1958 to interview Queen Mary’s surviving relatives, traveling all over Europe as well as to Sandringham and Balmoral. In this lecture, royal historian Mr. Hugo Vickers will regale us with funny stories from Pope-Hennessy’s notes and other stories shared by members of the British Royal Family. Mr. Vickers will also discuss his own research and bring to life the Queen-Empress who was witness to two world wars, a bystander to a scandal that rocked the monarchy, and a monarch who experienced the changes of British society from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1950s.

Hugo Vickers, is well known as a biographer, lecturer and broadcaster, and acknowledged expert on the Royal Family. He has covered events from royal weddings, including the first wedding of the Prince of Wales; the funerals of Diana, the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, the State Funeral and Committal of The Queen; and the Coronation of Charles III. The Financial Times recently described him as: ‘the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet.’ He has written many biographies of 20th-century figures, including Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Andrew of Greece, and the Queen Mother. His first biography, about Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough (1881-1977) was based on his interviews with her before her death. In 2022, he published a book with HRH The Duke of Kent, entitled A Royal Life. In 2024, Mr. Vickers published a novel Pining in Paradise and his biography of Clarissa, Countess of Avon (widow of PM Anthony Eden). When not writing, he travels through the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories, establishing Commonwealth Walkways. Mr. Vickers is a Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire and Captain of the Lay Stewards of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Charleston | Sissinghurst
2025-04-15 17:30 - 19:30 | Charleston Library Society, 164 King St, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States
The Rose Garden in May at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
In 1930, writer Vita Sackville-West and diplomat Harold Nicolson transformed a neglected Elizabethan farmstead in Kent into Sissinghurst Castle Garden—now one of the world’s most celebrated gardens. Known for its intimate “garden rooms,” lush plantings, and internationally renowned collection of old roses, Sissinghurst remains a masterpiece of 20th-century garden design. As the garden approaches its centenary in 2030, join head gardener Troy Scott Smith for an in-depth look at its past, present, and future. He will share insights into the enduring legacy of Sackville-West and Nicolson’s vision, the challenges of conservation in a changing climate, and the ongoing efforts to keep Sissinghurst vibrant while preserving its historic charm. From the famed White Garden to the exquisite Rose Garden, this lecture offers a rare glimpse into the artistry and dedication behind one of England’s most treasured landscapes and explores the enduring magic of Sissinghurst.

Troy Scott Smith was borne in Yorkshire into a family of committed naturalists and spent his childhood exploring the geology and flora of the National Parks of England. He began his gardening at a young age, quickly developing a style of relaxed planting that mixed native wildings together with exotics. In 1990, after a total of 5 years studying horticulture and design, Troy joined the National Trust, Europe’s largest Conservation Charity. In the years since Troy has led the gardens at The Courts, Bodnant and Sissinghurst, where he has been Head Gardener since 2013. Troy combines his work at Sissinghurst with design and consultancy, writing, teaching and lecturing. Troy has recently taken on a small farm back in his home county of Yorkshire, where he continues to gently experiment, laying down sustainable planting for the future.

VENUE
Charleston Library Society
164 King Street
Charleston, SC 29401
In-Person: 6:00pm, Lecture is preceded by a reception 5:30pm
Purchase tickets through the Charleston Library Society at: https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/sissinghurst-with-troy-scott-smith/
Or by phone: 843-723-9912
Tickets: $25 members; $35 non-members

NYC | George Frideric Handel at Home
2025-04-17 18:15 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
In 1723, the composer George Frideric Handel moved into a new built house on Brook Street in Mayfair, London. He would live there for 36 years, dying in his own bed at the age of 74. From 1723, all of his music, beginning with the opera Giulio Cesare and including Messiah and all his great oratorios, was composed in this house. Handel rehearsed his singers in his upstairs music room, attracting friends and neighbors who listened. The maestro even sold his music from his front parlor. Besides being a nexus for his compositions, Handel also hosted dinners at Brook Street and musicales—reciprocating evenings in the homes of his friends—and displayed his art collection in his home. Professor Emeritus (MIT) Ellen Harris will trace George Frideric Handel’s footsteps and activities during his life on Brook Street in London.

Ellen T. Harris is Class of 1949 Professor Emeritus at MIT and Visiting Professor at The Juilliard School. Her work includes the award-winning books George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends (Norton, 2014) and Handel as Orpheus: Voice and Desire in the Chamber Cantatas (Harvard, 2001). Her research on Handel’s finances won the Westrup Prize in 2004. She has performed with John Williams and the Boston Pops and sung the National Anthem at Fenway Park. She is currently preparing a book on performing Handel’s operas.
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account
Address: General Society Library, 20 W. 44th St. New York, NY 10036

NYC | J.M.W. Turner at Petworth
2025-05-12 18:15 - 20:00 | CDA Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium, 417 East 61st Street, New York City, NY, 10065, United States
The Carved Room, with the four paintings by Turner at Petworth House and Park, West Sussex. The carvings are by Grinling Gibbons.
The year 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775– 1851), one of the most admired and influential British artists. J.M.W. Turner had a unique relationship with George O’Brien Wyndham, the 3rd Earl of Egremont, who inherited Petworth House and Park, West Sussex, in 1763—now an NT property. The artist was a frequent house guest and was free to explore the house and estate, drawing great inspiration from the beauty of Petworth’s interiors, collections, and landscape. As a collector of British art, the 3rd Earl was a great patron and host to many contemporary artists such as Turner, John Constable, and C.R. Leslie. Turner’s extraordinary talent, combined with the unique opportunity to work at Petworth, allowed him to produce detailed pictorial descriptions of the great house and estate. These masterpieces can be seen at Petworth in the original devised for them after being reinstated in the early 2000s. Join Dr. John Chu, NT Senior Curator of Pictures and Sculpture, as he examines Turner’s works which illustrate what life was like at Petworth almost 200 years ago. He will also discuss the upcoming NT exhibition Turner’s Vision at Petworth (June 21–November 16, 2025), and the artist’s relationship with the Earl and demonstrate the impact this extraordinary house and landscape had on one of Britain’s celebrated artists.
John Chu was appointed Senior Curator of Pictures and Sculpture for Midlands at the National Trust, UK in 2021. He joined the NT in 2015 as Assistant Curator of Pictures and Sculpture and worked on exhibitions at Osterley, Powis Castle, and Basildon Park among other properties. He also worked on permanent re-displays of state rooms at The Vyne, Hampshire and Knole, Kent. He graduated from Cambridge University and received a Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Courtauld Institute of Art, London University. He was a visiting lecturer from University of Reading and an Associate Lecturer at Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at The Paul Mellon Center for Studies in British Art.
Location: CDA Abigail Adams Smith Ballroom, 417 E. 61st Street
New York, NY 10065
In-Person: 6:15pm (ET), Lecture will be followed by a reception
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account
Note: This lecture will be in-person only, with no rental recording.

CANCELED - NYC | Revealing Forgotten Stories through Conservation
2025-06-03 18:15 - 20:00 | CA
This in-person program has been canceled. You can register for the recording at: https://www.royal-oak.org/event/zoom-rental-revealing-forgotten-stories-through-conservation/
The National Trust cares for over 500 historic places, many of which have been central to defining moments in history. Yet, beyond the famous places and historical figures that remain touchstones of our cultural legacy, the Trust also cares for a vast collection of over one million objects. As the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio has become a pioneering hub for the preservation of the NT’s collection, it is no surprise that conservators have made new discoveries about NT objects through close observation and technical study. Conservation projects span a remarkable range—from some of the Trust’s smallest yet most iconic treasures, like the plate of ham featured in Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice, to large-scale, multi-disciplinary undertakings such as the restoration of the upholstered Dolphin Chairs from Ham House. These efforts have not only preserved but also identified and revealed original surfaces and colours once thought lost. Our conservators’ work continues to deepen understanding of art history, revealing everything from previously unnoticed alterations in Jacob Tintoretto’s The Wise and Foolish Virgins, c.1546, at Upton House to fresh evidence of Claude Monet’s working methods in Charing Cross Bridge (1902) at Chartwell. In her in-person NYC lecture, Emma S. will update ROF members and friends and speak about new and upcoming conservation projects at the ROF Studio. She will also describe some of the hidden stories uncovered by conservators that have added new layers of significance and interest to objects in the NT’s collection.

NYC | Modern Aristocrats: Ancestral Houses and Their Stories
2025-10-22 18:15 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
The history of England and the British people is inextricably linked with the stories of its leading aristocratic dynasties, and the seats they have occupied for centuries. These houses have survived great wars, economic upheavals, and at times scandal and tragedy. James Reginato, writer-at-large for Vanity Fair, will showcase several of his favorite British stately homes, in England, Ireland, Italy, and the Caribbean. He will tell the behind-the-scenes stories and also illustrate their interiors—such as Broughton Castle, home of the 21st Baron Saye and Sele and The Grove in Oxfordshire, home of Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Lady Pamela Hicks. Mr. Reginato will then join architectural historian and editor George McNeely to discuss the history of these aristocratic families and their country houses. They will also answer questions about how these modern stewards and new generation of aristocrats keep these stately homes going in high style.
James Reginato has been a writer-at-large for Vanity Fair since 2009. He has landed rare interviews with some of the world’s most elusive individuals in their extraordinary homes including Bunny Mellon, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales), Highness Prince Karim, the Aga Khan and others. A contributing editor of Sotheby’s Magazine he has also served as Editor-at-Large for Architectural Digest. His work appears in WSJ, Town & Country, The Financial Times and W Magazine where he was previously the Features Director. Mr. Reginato received a B.A. from Columbia University. He is the author of Growing up Getty: The Story of America’s Most Unconventional Dynasty. His first book, Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats, on which his lecture is based, presents an intimate look at some of Great Britain’s stateliest houses and the families who live inside them.
George McNeely is an architectural historian, editor, and charity auctioneer. He graduated from Princeton University and has an MBA from Columbia Business School. He was Vice President for Strategic & International Affairs at World Monuments Fund until 2016. Previously, he worked for 15 years at Christie’s Auction House as a Senior Vice President in Business Development. He regularly lectures about the history of art and architecture, the art and auction market, and cultural heritage preservation.
Online ticketing is now closed. Please call 212-480-2889 x200 to purchase tickets by phone or tickets can be purchased at the door.
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

NYC | Extravagant to Elegant: Dining at the English Table (1900-1938)
2025-11-17 18:15 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
King Edward VII was on the British throne as the 20th century swept into England. Already 59 years old, the new monarch continued the late Victorian fashion for considerable material consumption and fine dining. Faster modes of transport, along with the spread of the British Empire, gave rise to the availability of exotic foods served at the English table. Transatlantic marriages also brought American wealth into the dining rooms of aristocratic households. The result was a decade of lavish dining on a grand scale, with a complex series of courses using specialized tableware and expensive decorations. In this lecture, Dr. Sarah Coffin will explain how this elaborate dining method was expressed in the fashionable hotel restaurants in London, as well as in the country houses of the Edwardian elite. She will mark the transformation of British dining culture from the Edwardian era through the interwar years—when the table became both a canvas for creativity and a symbol of changing times. She will discuss how WWI brought about dining changes as well as the introduction of new materials—such as stainless steel. She will illustrate how the increased use of the motor car led to fancy picnic baskets for fashionable feasting outside. Finally, she will discuss the changes in the 1930s that brought modern dining elegance outside the dining room.
Sarah Coffin is a decorative arts and design consultant, curator, and lecturer. She has extensively researched and explored the interaction of culinary design and history. From 2003-2018, Sarah Coffin was Senior Curator and Head of the Product Design and Decorative Arts Department, at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Museum. Previously she worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Metropolitan Museum, NYC prior to becoming a Vice President and Decorative Arts Representative at Sotheby’s. Her tenure at Cooper Hewitt included her curation of the exhibition Feeding Desire: Design and Tools of the Table, 1500-2005, which explored the significant role of flatware and cutlery as design objects that impacted social mores and cuisine. Her other curated exhibitions (and authorship of exhibition catalogues) include The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s; Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels; and Rococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008 among others. She has taught and/or lectured at NYU, George Washington University, Yale, Bard Graduate Center, and Parsons School of Design, as well as to numerous museum and private groups.
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

NYC | Mistress of Hardwick: Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury
2025-12-03 18:15 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
The Blue Room at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire. Hardwick Hall was built in the late 16th century for Bess of Hardwick.
Born in the quiet hills of Derbyshire, Elizabeth Hardwick—known to history as “Bess of Hardwick”—rose to become one of the wealthiest and most influential women in Elizabethan England. Through four strategic marriages, keen business sense, and sharp political instincts, Bess secured power and status in a world dominated by men. After marrying Sir William Cavendish, Bess acquired the Chatsworth estate and began a lifelong passion for building and property. Her later marriage to George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, placed her at the heart of national politics. The couple orchestrated dynastic marriages between their children and became embroiled in the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots—an assignment that ultimately fractured their marriage. Defiant and independent, Bess returned to Derbyshire and constructed her crowning achievement: the magnificent Hardwick Hall, “more glass than wall.” From there, she championed her granddaughter Arbella Stuart as a potential heir to the English throne, navigating the dangerous politics of succession with remarkable skill. Carol Ann Lloyd will explore Bess’s extraordinary rise, her role in Tudor court life, and her enduring legacy as a masterful strategist, builder, and matriarch of a powerful dynasty.

Carol Ann Lloyd, is a popular speaker who shares the stories of Shakespeare and English history. She is the former Manager of Visitor Education at Folger Shakespeare Library, where she gave workshops and tours about Shakespeare and Early Modern England. Her podcast, British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics, explores the lives of famous and infamous characters in history. Her book Tudors by the Numbers was published in 2023, and her latest book is Courting the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and Her Suitors. Carol Ann has presented programs at the Smithsonian, Folger Shakespeare Library, Agecroft Hall, and TEDx, among other venues. Ms. Lloyd is a member of the National Speakers Association.

Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

LA | Fred Astaire in London
2025-12-15 18:00 - 20:00 | The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S Lucerne Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90005
Fred Astaire, 1940s, Original publicity still from former Marilyn Blaisdell Collection
Though born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in New York City, dancer Fred Astaire spent a significant portion of his early career in the United Kingdom. From 1922 to 1932, he and his sister Adele captivated London audiences in three wildly popular West End musicals, sparking a sensation so intense that critics dubbed it “Astairia.” During his time in London, Astaire immersed himself in British culture; he studied music theory at London’s Guildhall School of Music alongside Noël Coward and socialized with the aristocracy. After a decade in London, Adele retired from the stage to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, the second son of the Duke of Devonshire, and moved to Lismore Castle in Ireland. The pair’s decade of dancing and performing in London had an equally profound effect on Fred. With his new dance partner, Claire Luce, he expanded his repertoire, incorporating sweeping, romantic movements as well as an English sense of style. His impeccable fashion sense, effortless charm, and refined elegance—so central to his legendary dance films of the 1930s through the 1950s—were deeply influenced by the customs and style he observed while mingling with British high society and even the royal family. Victoria Kastner will explore the profound impact of Astaire’s years in the UK, revealing how his time on the London stage helped shape the dancer, actor, and icon the world came to adore.
Victoria Kastner is the leading scholar and author about the architect Julia Morgan as well as about Hearst Castle, where she worked for 30 years and was the historian. She is the author of Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House, with a foreword by George Plimpton, published by Harry N. Abrams in 2000; Hearst’s San Simeon: The Gardens and the Land, May 2009; and Hearst Ranch: Family, Land and Legacy. She co-authored The Beverly Hills Hotel: The First 100 years with Robert Anderson. In 2022, Victoria published; Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect. Ms. Kastner has lectured extensively on Julia Morgan, Hearst’s art collection, and the history of collection for many museums and groups: including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the American Museum in Britain in Bath; and the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. She has also written about Hearst, San Simeon, and Morgan for The London Telegraph, the American Institute of Architects, Oxford University’s Journal of the History of Collections, and The Magazine Antiques.
Tickets can be purchased at the door. Online ticket sales have been closed.
Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
Reception at 6pm; Lecture at 6:30pm
741 S Lucerne Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90005

*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account
