Zoom Live | Borrowed Landscapes: The Influence of China and Japan on the English Country House
2024-04-04 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Borrowed Landscapes: The Influence of China and Japan on the English Country House
Thursday, April 4 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Zoom Webinar (Live)
An English lacquer cabinet, c.1690, in the Morning Room at Saltram, Devon.
From the 17th century onwards, Chinese and Japanese art and ornamentation influenced the design and decoration of interiors and gardens in Britain and Ireland. The importation of Chinese and Japanese luxury goods—lacquer, porcelain, embroidered silk, wallpaper, etc.—allowed designers and homeowners to incorporate these objects into their interiors. The East India Companies also commissioned objects from Chinese and Japanese artisans, incorporating European forms and Western patterns.
However, British designers and artisans also created their own fanciful interpretations of Asian styles and forms, often mistaking the original meaning or purpose behind the designs. These Western-created hybrid styles have been known as chinoiserie and japonisme and remain popular in decoration and design. Over the centuries, even as China and Japan became better known to Europeans, the fictional idea of what is ‘oriental’ remained prevalent in Western design.
Emile de Bruijn, will explore the impact of Chinese and Japanese material culture on British historic houses and gardens, based on the research he undertook (and the photography that was commissioned) for his new book Borrowed Landscapes. De Bruijn will illustrate how elements of Chinese and Japanese culture were admired but often misunderstood by Western craftsmen. He will also show how resulting designs were both idealized and desired, while dismembered and caricatured. Finally, he will explain how the collection of Asian objects in British and Irish country houses and the use of Asian design elements in Western furniture was not just about appropriation but also reflected admiration and an attempt by designers to appeal to the senses and admiration of the beholder.
Emile de Bruijn

Emile de Bruijn studied Japanese at Leiden University, the Netherlands, and museology at Essex University, United Kingdom. After working in the Japanese and Chinese art departments of the auctioneers Sotheby’s, he joined the National Trust where he currently has the role of Assistant National Curator of Decorative Arts. In 2017 he published the monograph Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland, and his latest book is Borrowed Landscapes: China and Japan in the Historic Houses and Gardens of Britain and Ireland (2023).

Zoom Live | A Collector’s Country House: William Randolph Hearst with Victoria Kastner
2024-04-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
A Collector’s Country House: William Randolph Hearst
Tuesday, April 16 | 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Zoom Webinar (Live)
When Winston Churchill visited William Randolph Hearst’s estate at San Simeon during Churchill’s 1929 California tour, he was pleasantly surprised. Though he had been expecting “a Monte Carlo casino perched atop the Rock of Gibraltar,” he found instead a stunning country house and an intriguing host. Hearst was an art collector in the 18th-century English tradition. Like William Beckford and Horace Walpole, Hearst personally selected every object in his vast collection, and determined its location. For 28 years, Julia Morgan—the first female architect to gain worldwide prominence—worked right beside him creating La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill), as it was formally known.
At San Simeon, Hearst blended English country house traditions with Californian informalities. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and all the Hollywood set rubbed elbows with Calvin Coolidge and Bernard Shaw. Presiding as hostess was Hearst’s companion, the actress Marion Davies. The end result was a quintessentially American country house with English style gardens: built by a media mogul, designed by a woman architect, presided over by a Hollywood starlet, and forever immortalized by a film—Orson Welles’s brooding Citizen Kane. Victoria Kastner will discuss Hearst’s extensive art collection—Renaissance tapestries, Mediterranean furniture, English silver, and architectural fragments galore—and provide lively anecdotes about the hilltop, in this examination of America’s most glamorous country house and estate.
Victoria Kastner

Victoria Kastner is a 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.

Zoom Live | The Restoration of Bath’s Assembly Rooms with Connolly and Wellingham
2024-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Preserving History: The Restoration of Bath’s Assembly Rooms

Managed by the National Trust since 1931, the Assembly Rooms hold a special place in Bath’s history and culture, offering contemporary visitors an immersive experience into the Georgian era. Join Royal Oak as we hear from Connolly Wellingham Architects, the architectural design and conservation studio appointed by the National Trust to assist with interior design and conservation of this significant showpiece, ahead of the Trust’s resumption of management of the site. The project will assess the feasibility of revealing currently hidden layers of historic fabric throughout the Assembly Rooms and seek to tell a wider, immersive story of Bath’s society heyday.
Built during the Georgian era and designed by the esteemed architect John Wood the Younger, the Assembly Rooms have long been at the heart of fashionable society. Completed in 1771, these rooms were hailed as “the most noble and elegant” in the UK, hosting a vibrant array of social gatherings and events. The restoration project includes initiatives that promise to transform the Assembly Rooms into a true reflection of their Georgian heritage. Among these initiatives is the replacement of the modern staircases with a unique Georgian-inspired design. Additionally, the re-gilding of mirrors and marbling of columns will restore the room’s opulence and grandeur, while new front doors will welcome guests with a touch of splendor. Removal of infill and installation of new light wells will flood the area with natural light, recreating the original entrance experience. Also, upgrading to slimline double-glazed windows will ensure both preservation and comfort, allowing guests to enjoy the Assembly Rooms in all seasons. Join us as we delve into the restoration journey, combining historical preservation with modern innovation to breathe new life into this iconic Georgian landmark.

Fergus Connolly is from Lancashire and studied architecture at Glasgow School of Art, and London Metropolitan University. Fergus undertook the SPAB’s Lethaby Scholarship in 2008, and was awarded first prize in the Georgian Group’s Architectural Drawing Competition (presented by HRH The Prince of Wales), later that year. From 2003-2006, Fergus worked for Martin Stancliffe Architects. In the role of Cathedral Surveyors, the practice undertook St. Paul’s Cathedral’s largest phase of repair and reordering since it’s completion in 1711. At FCBStudios Fergus spent 8 years as church architect to Grade 1 listed Bath Abbey, and project architect for The Footprint Project. The project secured £10.5m of HLF support to repair and stabilise the collapsing Abbey floor. During his time at FCBS he also worked on Shrewsbury Flax Mill, Windsor Castle’s Visitor Masterplan and new conservation studio for the Royal Collection. He authored The Burrell Collection’s Statement of Significance. Fergus lectures and tutors across the UK on vernacular architecture.

Charles Wellingham grew up in Somerset and studied architecture at University of Plymouth and the University of the West of England, during which time his work was commended by the SPAB Philip Webb award and shortlisted for the RIBA President’s Silver Medal. During 6 years at FCBStudios, Charlie was the project architect responsible for delivering the heritage led regeneration of Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent for the Prince’s Regeneration Trust. The site was built in 1888 and has been home to the Burleigh factory for 150 years. As well as securing the continuation of Burleigh’s craft, the brief sought to strengthen the economic sustainability of the grade II* listed site by introducing additional complementary uses, education spaces and visitor facilities. The refurbishment was awarded a national RIBA award, a Civic Trust AABC Conservation Award and a Europa Nostra Prize for European Cultural Heritage Conservation Excellence. In 2014, he rejoined FCBS and was responsible for leading the design team overseeing the creative reuse of the former Guildhall court rooms in the heart of medieval Bristol. This included securing Planning and Listed Building Consent for the extension and conversion of the Grade I and II* listed buildings into a hotel complex. Charlie is an associate lecturer at the UWE Architecture School and guest critic in the Part 2 Conservation Studio. Charlie was elected to join the Conservation Register in 2016.

Zoom Live | Wilton House: An English Treasure House with Jeremy Musson
2024-05-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Wilton House: An English Treasure House
Wilton House, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, has been the seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years – it is now home to the 18th Earl and Countess of Pembroke. Like many great English country houses, Wilton was built on the site of a medieval abbey, in this case given by King Henry VIII in 1544 courtier Sir William Pembroke, later 1st Earl Pembroke (1501-1570). Wilton has been shaped by some of the most significant names in architecture and interior design. Some of the 16th-century house survives, but the most notable part of the house today is that remodelled in the 1640s for Philip Herbert, the 4th Earl of Pembroke (1584-1650), by Inigo Jones (1573-1652) and Salomon de Caus. It represents a significant moment in the transition to classically inspired architecture in Britain. Further alterations in the early 1800s included a magnificent cloister by James Wyatt (1746-1813) for the 11th Earl of Pembroke (1759-1852) designed to display a collection of classical sculpture.

The Single and Double Cube state rooms designed by Inigo Jones and John Webb are considered some of the finest of English interiors, and the house contains the outstanding collections of classical sculpture and Old Master paintings. Architectural historian Jeremy Musson will illustrate the rich interiors and artistic masterpieces and show what they reveal about changing values and attitudes to art, architecture, and decoration, as well as the story of the Earls of Pembroke.
Jeremy Musson is a leading commentator and authority on the English country house. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and sits on a number of boards and trusts including the Country House Foundation. He was awarded an MPhil in Renaissance History at the Warburg Institute, University of London, in 1989 and was Architectural Editor of Country Life from 1995-2007. Before joining Country Life in 1995, Mr. Musson was an assistant regional curator for the National Trust in East Anglia. He has written and edited hundreds of articles on historic country houses. Mr. Musson also presented 14 programmes on BBC 2, making up two series called The Curious House Guest in 2005-07, and he also lectures and supervises for academic programmes with Cambridge University, London University, Buckingham University, and the Attingham Summer School. Among his books include Up and Down Stairs: The History of the English Country House Servant (2009), English Country House Interiors (2011), Robert Adam: Country House Design, Decoration & the Art of Elegance (2017), The Country House: Past, Present, Future: Great Houses of the British Isles (2018), and Romantics and Classics: Style in the English Country House (Rizzoli, 2021).

Zoom Live | ‘Outsiders’ and the English Country House with Adrian Tinniswood
2024-05-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Rock garden with rhododendrons at Cragside, Northumberland
‘Outsiders’ and the English Country House
At the beginning of the 20th century, the owners of Britain’s stately homes reveled in the halcyon days of glory and glamour. Nothing lay beyond their reach in a world where privilege and hedonism went hand in hand with duty and honour. The ancestral seats of ancient nobility stood cheek by jowl next to the palaces of Jewish bankers (Waddesdon Manor) and Indian princes (Elveden). Before World War I, Britain was a place where dukes and duchesses mixed with chorus-line dancers who had turned into aristocratic society hostesses. It was a world where self-made millionaires who had been raised in the slums of Manchester and Birmingham, or whose family were farmers, owned glorious country houses (Craagside). It was a world where Americans who restored and transformed English country houses (Hever Castle) were received in the highest social circles in Britain. Historian Adrian Tinniswood, OBE, will explore the English country house during this brief golden age, when stately homes in Britain were at their most opulent. He will illustrate and explain how for the privileged few—not born into nobility or an aristocratic lineage—life in the country house during this period was the best life of all.
Adrian Tinniswood OBE, studied English and Philosophy at Southampton University and was awarded an MPhil at Leicester University. He has acted as a consultant to the National Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. He is currently Senior Research Fellow in History at the University of Buckingham and Visiting Fellow in Heritage and History at Bath Spa University. He has lectured at several Universities both in the US and UK, including the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 16 books on architectural and social history including His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren; By Permission of Heaven: The True Story of the Great Fire of London; The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House Between the Wars; Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the Royal Household and Noble Ambition: The Rise and Fall of the English Country House. Tinniswood was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to heritage.

Zoom Rental | ‘Outsiders’ and the English Country House with Adrian Tinniswood
2024-05-10 - 2024-07-07 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | London's River: A Day on the Thames Clipper Virtual Tour
2024-10-01 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
London’s River: A Day on the Thames Clipper
Zoom Live
Tuesday, October 1 |5:00 p.m. ET
The Thames holds a central place in British history, earning the poetic moniker “liquid history” by John Burns. It has hosted major annual events like the Henley Royal Regatta and the Boat Race and served as a venue for two Summer Olympic Games. Rob Smith will virtually lead us as we explore London’s iconic Thames Clipper River buses for an unforgettable journey along England’s longest river entirely within its borders. Whether you are a visitor or a local, cruising the Thames offers a unique perspective on the city’s history and landmarks. This virtual tour not only showcases the scenic routes but also unveils significant events and cultural highlights along its storied banks. Starting from Deptford, admire the historic Royal Navy buildings, a reminder of London’s maritime legacy. Glide past Greenwich, home to the elegant Queens House and rich naval history, before reaching the Royal Woolwich Arsenal, symbolizing Britain’s industrial past and military strength. “Sail” this iconic waterway, offering a glimpse into London’s past and present
Tickets: $30 Members*; $40 Non-Members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | The Irish Country House with Robert O'Byrne
2024-10-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Irish country houses have a distinct character and personality, often whimsical and quirky and not following the stereotypical English country house style. In his lecture based on his new book, The Irish Country House: A New Vision, historian and author Robert O’Byrne highlights the eclecticism of Ireland’s historic interiors. He will showcase a mix of historical Irish estates as well as contemporary restorations to offer a fresh perspective on the beauty of these homes. He will explore some of Ireland’s most interesting and unusual interiors, from derelict estates to historic hunting lodges, and from an Irish castle renovated by a Mexican financier to an
Elizabethan Revival house transformed by a contemporary artist. He will illustrate a mansion in Westmeath, restored by the descendants of its original owners, and show Coollattin, Ireland’s largest country house at 65,000 square feet, where the Baroque style is emphasized by its unfinished state. By delving into these remarkable interiors, O’Byrne offers a new understanding of the cultural and historical significance embedded within Ireland’s country houses.
Robert O’Byrne, Noted Author
Robert O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specialising in the fine and decorative arts. He is the author of more than a dozen books, among them Luggala Days: The Story of a Guinness House (Cico Books); Romantic Irish Homes, Romantic English Homes: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (Lilliput Press), and The Irish Aesthete: Ruins of Ireland (2019). A former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society and trustee of the Alfred Beit Foundation, he is currently a trustee of the Apollo Foundation. Among other work, he writes a monthly column for Apollo magazine, and contributes to each issue of the quarterly Irish Arts Review.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | History of London Theatres Virtual Tour
2024-10-22 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
History of London Theatres
Zoom Live Meeting
Tuesday, October 22 | 2:00 p.m. ET
The entire world is a stage in London theatreland! Competing with New York City as the greatest place to see theatre in the English-speaking world, London offers a rich and varied theatrical experience. Stephen Benton will guide us on a digital journey through the history and splendor of theatrical London. Travel back to the 16th century and explore the world of Shakespeare’s playhouses, learning why these iconic buildings no longer stand. Discover historic playhouses over 200 years old, iconic Victorian palaces of marble and gilt, sleek Art Deco buildings, stark mid-20th-century concrete theatres, and the most cutting-edge 21st-century venues. Each theatre has its own fabulous stories and unique charm. With around 45 West End theatres and countless smaller venues, London boasts an impressive array of theatrical options. At any given time, you can find around 25 different musicals, including the world’s longest-running musical, “Les Misérables,” which first opened in 1985 and has performed over 15,000 shows with no signs of closing. Even more enduring is “The Mousetrap,” which opened in 1952 and has played nearly 30,000 performances, continuing its record-breaking run. Join Stephen Benton and tread the
boards in London’s theatreland, experiencing the magic and history of one of the world’s most vibrant theatrical landscapes.

Tickets: $30 Members*; $40 Non-Members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Alleys and Lanes of Hampstead Virtual Tour
2024-10-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Alleys and Lanes of Hampstead
Zoom Live
Tuesday, October 29 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Hampstead Heath ponds
Join us on an immersive virtual tour through the charming and intricate network of alleys and lanes in the heart of old Hampstead. Discover how this picturesque village evolved from a fashionable 18th-century spa into a thriving community with vibrant social amenities in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Experience Hampstead’s rich history as we explore its historic houses, quaint cottages, notable monuments, and significant institutions. Virtually wander through the scenic lanes and uncover the stories behind each corner. From the comfort of your home, enjoy a fully accessible tour that brings the essence of Hampstead to life. Our guide, Marilyn Greene, is a former curator of Hampstead Museum with many years of experience researching the history and streets of this beloved area. She will share fascinating anecdotes and insights about the places and people who have shaped Hampstead over the centuries.
Tickets: $30 Members*; $40 Non-Members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Mrs. Greville at Polesden Lacey with Alice Strickland & Anna Vesaluoma
2024-11-05 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Margaret Anderson, The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville DBE (1863-1942) by Emile-Auguste Carolus-Duran (Lille 1838 – Paris 1917) Portrait of The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville East front of Polesden Lacey, Surrey by Emile-Auguste Carolus-Duran ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Margaret Greville (1863-1942) was a wealthy heiress and a member of the aristocracy through her marriage to the Hon. Ronald Greville, the heir of an old political dynasty. Following her marriage, Margaret entered the glamorous social set that surrounded the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, who commented on her ‘positive genius for hospitality.’ Margaret’s money and position was a powerful combination in Edwardian Britain, and while she was a successful hostess, Margaret was also a significant collector. Polesden Lacey in Surrey now houses the extraordinary collection Margaret created for both her London townhouse and her country estate. At both residences she worked with the interior decorators Mèwes and Davis and White, Allom & Company to create lavish interiors for the display of her collection. Margaret’s objets d’art collection included carvings by Cartier and Fabergé and provided a dazzling display for her guests and visitors. Once Margaret came into her inheritance in 1913, she complemented her father’s collection of Dutch 17th century paintings with the addition of Italian Medieval and Renaissance religious works and European and British portraits. In 1942, Margaret Greville bequeathed Polesden Lacey to the National Trust ‘for the largest number of people to have enjoyment thereof,’ anticipating that her collections would be combined ‘to form a Picture and Art Gallery’. The life-size portrait of
Front of Polesden Lacey, Surrey
Lady Greville, by society portraitist Emile-August Carolus-Duran (1838- 1917), was recently returned to Polesden Lacey in 2024 following conservation at The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio at Knole. Dr Alice Strickland, a curator for the NT in London and the South East, will speak about Lady Greville and her life at Polesden Lacey while Anna Vesaluoma, a Paintings Conservator for the NT, will delve into the meticulous conservation of this painting and the incredible results. Now re-displayed at Poleden Lacey in its rightful place on the loggia staircase, the portrait remains a record and symbol of Greville’s incredible legacy.
Anna Vesalouma
Anna Vesalouma is a Paintings Conservator for the National Trust, based at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio on the property of Knole House, Kent. During her time at the ROF Conservation Studio, Anna has treated a wide range of paintings from across National Trust properties, including works by Carolus-Duran, John Singer Sargent, George Romney and Melchior D’Hondecoeter. Before joining the Trust, Anna worked two years as a painting conservation fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut, where she focused on the conservation of American paintings. She holds a postgraduate degree in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and a BA (Hons) in Painting from the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Alice Strickland
Dr. Alice Strickland is a curator for the National Trust in London and the South East. Her doctorate considered British women artists of the Second World War and she was awarded a Paul Mellon research grant for a publication on women artists of the First World War. Her publications include contributions to Laura Knight a Celebration (Penlee exhibition catalogue, 2021) and Learning from the Masters (Ashgate, 2013). Her book Laura Knight 2019) forms part of a series on Modern Women Artists published by Eiderdown Books.

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Hidden Patrons: Women Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain with Dr. Amy Boyington
2024-11-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
An enduring myth of Georgian architecture is that it was purely the pursuit of male architects and their wealthy male patrons. History states that it was men who owned grand estates and houses, commissioned famous architects, and embarked upon elaborate architectural schemes. However, some women with sufficient wealth and autonomy were at the heart of architectural patronage of the day, exerting far more influence than has previously been recognized. They were actively involved in architectural drawing, design, discourse, and patronage, with many laying out great sums on realising their architectural visions. In her lecture, Dr. Amy Boyington will discuss these female patrons while re-examining well-known Georgian masterpieces alongside lesser-known architectural gems. Drawing from private estate papers and personal correspondence, Dr. Boyington will uncover the role of women as important patrons and designers of architecture and interiors in eighteenth-century Britain and Ireland.
Portrait of Henrietta Louisa Jeffreys
Women built across the architectural spectrum. Some remodeled their ancestral seats, such as Jemima Yorke, Marchioness Grey, who updated Wrest Park, her country house in Bedfordshire. Others transformed the interiors of their marital homes, such as the fifteen-year-old Louisa Conolly at Castletown House, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Some spent vast fortunes on building magnificent London town houses, such as Mary Hervey, Baroness Hervey, and Henrietta Fermor, Countess of Pomfret. Many also chose tobuild or remodel villas during their widowhoods, each desiring a fashionable, convenient country residence close to the city, but set within a tranquil arcadian setting. Mary Robinson, Baroness Grantham, and Amabel Hume-Campbell, Lady Polwarth, were sisters who were both widowed in their 30s – and each decided to create beautiful Neo-Classical villas on Putney Heath next door to each other.
Dr. Amy Boyington
Dr. Amy Boyington is a social and architectural historian who attained her PhD in architectural history from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Boyington has worked in a curatorial capacity at Holkham Hall, Goodwood House, and Woburn Abbey. She has worked as a research consultant for the National Trust at Stowe Landscape Gardens and for Historic Royal Palaces at Kensington Palace. She was recently a Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage. Her debut book is Hidden Patrons: Women and Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain (Bloomsbury, 2023). She is now working on her second book Decadence & Display (Yale University Press) which focuses on the eighteenth-century country house dining room. Dr. Boyington is also a popular historian on social media, @history_with_amy, with over 1.4 million followers.

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Cornwall and the Scilly Isles - England's Far West Virtual Tour
2024-11-13 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Cornwall and the Scilly Isles – England’s Far West
View of the Botallack mines, Cornwall

Zoom Live
Wednesday, November 13 | 5:00 p.m. ET
Rob Smith will take us on a captivating virtual tour through the far west of Cornwall, where some of Britain’s oldest rocks cascade dramatically into the sea. Here, the National Trust, offers a glimpse into Cornwall’s rich mining heritage, meticulously preserves remnants of Tin Mines, dating back to the early Industrial Revolution. We will dive into the local legends as we visit the mystical Merry Maidens, a prehistoric stone circle steeped in myth and mystery. Cornwall’s rugged coastlines have witnessed numerous shipwrecks, reflecting its perilous maritime history and adding to the area’s allure and intrigue. Venturing even further westward, we will explore the Scilly Isles, where a gentle microclimate nurtures a profusion of wildflowers amidst Tudor Castles and pristine beaches. These islands have been inhabited since the Stone Age, their history intertwined with tales of mariners, pirates, and ancient settlements.
Tickets: $30 Members*; $40 Non-Members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Dressing for the Tudor Court: Power, Beauty & Influence with Eleri Lynn
2024-11-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Pair of Elizabethan gauntlet mittens at Dunham Massey, NT
The Tudor monarchs and their courtiers are some of the best-known figures in history. Even today, their stories continue to spark our curiosity and imagination. Their enduring popularity is partly due to the iconic portraits in which they are depicted in magnificent style: in farthingales and elaborate ruffs, covered in furs and jewels, and clothed in vast expanses of velvet and silk. Far from being decoration, at that time fashion was pivotal in communicating the status and power of the wearer. Tudor dress was used as a tool in securing and holding a tenuous Tudor throne, as well as a competitive “weapon” in the factions, intrigues, and love affairs of the court. In this talk, Eleri Lynn, will explore the changing fashions of the Tudor wardrobe and explain the elaborate process of dressing. Using rare surviving garments and textiles, original documents, and archaeological records, she will explain how fashion was central to the Tudors’ mindset and their very understanding of royalty and power.
Eleri Lynn
Eleri Lynn is a fashion and textiles historian, curator, and author. She gained her curatorial experience within the Textiles and Fashion Department of the V&A Museum before becoming Curator of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Historic Royal Palaces, and thereafter Head of Exhibitions at National Museum Wales. She is a Trustee of the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. Her recent TV appearances include the BBC2 ‘Art That Made Us’ series and BBC1’s, regularly interview her ‘Elizabeth: Fashioning a Monarch’. She is the author of several monographs among which include Tudor Fashion (Yale University Press, 2017), and Tudor Textiles (Yale University Press, 2020), and a contributor to Floral Culture in the Tudor and Stuart Courts (Amsterdam University Press, 2023). Eleri is the curator of several major fashion and textiles exhibitions including Diana: Her Fashion Story (Kensington Palace, 2017), The Lost Dress of Elizabeth I (Hampton Court Palace, 2019), and Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion (V&A touring, 2013-14). She was part of the curatorial teams on Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen (V&A, 2013), Fashion Rules Restyled (Kensington Palace, 2015), and Crown to Couture (Kensington Palace, 2023).

Zoom | Power & Glory: The English Country House Before the Great War with Adrian Tinniswood, OBE
2024-11-25 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire
In the decades before the First World War, the owners of the nation’s stately homes reveled in a golden age of glamour where privilege and hedonism went hand-in-hand with duty and honour. At a time when Britain ruled over a quarter of the worlds’ population, privileged few lived in ancestral stately country homes encumbered by history. However, by the end of the 19th century, members of the elite and landed gentry found themselves living in the company of arrivistes. Their new neighbors—from chorus girls to millionaire greengrocers to guano impresarios—were unencumbered by the weight of tradition. They used their “new money” to bring innovations to the country house, affecting every aspect of life, from the kitchen to the drawing room. In a fascinating prequel to his lecture and best-seller The Long Weekend, Adrian Tinniswood OBE will speak about life in the English country house and describe how the self-made millionaires turned that traditional world upside down—bringing automobiles and labour-saving devices to mansions that had been standing virtually unchanged for generations. He will explore the impact of new technologies on both old homes and old owners. Could the romance of the past exist alongside the shock of the new? While electric light and bathrooms with hot and cold running water might have made things easier both above and below stairs, it still could not quite banish the ghosts of the past. Professor Tinniswood will explain that the period before the horrors of the Great War was indeed a golden age for the British country house, but not for the reasons we might expect.
Adrian Tinniswood, OBE
Adrian Tinniswood OBE FSA, studied English and Philosophy at Southampton University and was awarded an MPhil at Leicester University. He has acted as a consultant to the National Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. He is currently Senior Research Fellow in History at the University of Buckingham and Visiting Fellow in Heritage and History at Bath Spa University. He has lectured at several Universities in both the United Kingdom and United States, including the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 16 books on architectural and social history including His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren; By Permission of Heaven: The True Story of the Great Fire of London; The Verneys, Pirates of Barbary; The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House Between the Wars; Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the Royal Household (2018). Tinniswood was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to heritage.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | London’s Great Hotels Virtual Tour
2024-11-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
The George Inn is the only remaining galleried inn in London and was familiar to Charles Dickens.
London’s Great Hotels
Zoom Live
Tuesday, November 26 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Before the 19th century, visitors to London had limited options for accommodation, primarily relying on gentlemen’s clubs, lodging houses, and coaching inns. Stephen Benton will unveil the fascinating history of London’s hotels through a digital walking tour, made for Royal Oak. Our journey will begin with the last surviving galleried coaching inn in London, the wonderful George Inn, now preserved by the National Trust. We will explore how the advent of the railway revolutionized travel and accommodation, leading to the establishment of hotels at many of London’s main stations, including the magnificent Gothic marvel at St Pancras. By the early 20th century, some of London’s most iconic hotels had been founded, such as Claridge’s, The Langham, The Ritz, and The Savoy, which was substantially rebuilt in the 1930s in a flamboyant Art Deco style. Between the World Wars, several grand aristocratic townhouses were demolished to make way for iconic hotels like The Dorchester and Grosvenor House. The 1960s introduced London’s first hotel tower, the Hilton, while the 1980s saw the rise of boutique hotels, often housed in repurposed historic buildings. Today, London boasts over 700 hotels with more than 120,000 rooms, ranging from the richly historic to the purely utilitarian. Join Stephen Benton for a captivating exploration of this diverse and ever-evolving landscape.
Tickets: $30 Members*; $40 Non-Members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Millionaire Houses Along the Strand with Dr. Paula Henderson
2024-12-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Millionaire Houses Along the Strand
The Strand, London
The Strand, a major street in the City of Westminster, London was, from the middle ages, the most prestigious place to live in London. Running from the Temple on the east to Charing Cross on the west (just as it does today), the Strand was strategically placed between two power centres: the City and Westminster. Furthermore, from the 1530s, leading courtiers and aristocrats acquired the magnificent medieval bishops’ inns and their spacious gardens, adapting the houses and beautifying the gardens as showpieces, visible to all who travelled on the Thames. Like the palaces along the Grand Canal in Venice, these great houses were seen as powerful expressions of the city’s wealth and grandeur. While most of these houses were on the south side of the Strand, Lord Burghley built a new house along the north side. A recently discovered plan of his house and garden is the most important source of information about the splendour and complexity of these houses and gardens, a short period in London’s history of true rus in urbe.

Paula Henderson, Architectural and Garden Historian
Paula Henderson has degrees in art history (University of Chicago, M.A.) and Ph.D. in architectural history from the Courtauld Institute of Art (University of London). She lectures widely in Britain (where she lived for 43 years) and the United States and has published over 70 articles on English Houses and their landscapes. Her first book, The Tudor House and Garden: architecture and landscape in the 16th and 17th centuries (published by Yale University Press), won the Berger Prize for the outstanding contribution to the history of British art 2005. Francis Lincoln published Treehouses (co-authored with Adam Mornement), also in 2005. She is currently completing books on London gardens in the age of Shakespeare and on the Landscape as Art. She has taught courses for the Courtauld Institute of Art, and more recently for the V&A museum. She has lectured for the Paul Mellon Center for British Art, the Architectural Association, both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Birkbeck college, Christie’s Education, The Inchbald School of Design, the V&A museum, the Tate Gallery, The Garden History Society, Sir John Soane’s Museum, among others. She led tours for the Courtauld Institute to Florence (‘Gardens of the Medici’) Debyshire (‘Elizabethan architecture’) and the Cotswolds (‘Gardens of the Cotswolds’). She is a Fellow of Society of Antiquaries of London and now splits her time between Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Williamsburg, Virginia.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Restoring Fabric History: Humphries Weavings, UK
2025-02-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
State bed and bedroom at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire ©National Trust Images James Dobson
Humphries Weaving is a distinguished British fabric manufacturer specializing in the recreation of important historical textiles, seamlessly blending traditional techniques with contemporary design innovations. With over 50 years of experience, the company has restored and refashioned period fabrics for Britain’s royal residences, prestigious historic houses, and National Trust properties both at home and abroad. From the 18th-century blue silk damask adorning the walls and furniture in Kedleston Hall’s State Rooms to the crimson bed drapes and coverlets on the state beds at Buscot Park and Sudbury Hall, Humphries Weaving’s recreations meticulously captures the essence of these historical periods. Honoring their rich legacy that once symbolized the wealth and status of homeowners during the 17th and 18th centuries. This exclusive Royal Oak presentation spotlights the designer’s creative process, from initial concept to the production of exquisite fabrics for interiors and ceremonial use, such as those for Orders of Chivalry. The designers will demonstrate how hundreds of hours can be invested into analyzing source samples and reconstructing designs using historical techniques, measurements, and tools. These intricate recreations, often requiring more than 14 distinct steps, result in fabrics that are both historically accurate and visually stunning. If you are passionate about the history of interiors or an aficionado of textile history, this presentation is not to be missed. Join Royal Oak as we look behind-the-scenes how this iconic British company preserves England’s heritage by honoring the past while innovating for the future.

Zoom | Hermopolis Magna: Insights from a New Excavation with Yvona K. Trnka-Amrhein
2025-02-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Hermopolis Magna: Insights from a New Excavation of Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman Architecture
Roland Unger, Wikipedia Commons
The ancient Egyptian city of Hermopolis Magna, situated between Cairo and Luxor, was a key religious and cultural hub from ancient times to the Byzantine era. Hermopolis originally was renowned for its temple dedicated to Thoth, the Egyptian god of magic, wisdom and writing. In later centuries, Hermopolis developed into a major city of the Greek and Roman Empire in Egypt and was modeled after Alexandria. Recent archeological discoveries have provided new insights into the city’s Greek and Roman architectural evolution, offering a rare glimpse into the classical architecture of a city now lost beneath modern developments. In this lecture, Dr. Yvona K. Trnka-Amrhein will present findings from the American-Egyptian excavation in 2023 and discuss Hermopolis’s classical architectural heritage. Her lecture will examine the complex history of Hermopolis’s excavation, which over the centuries has attracted Egyptian, German, British, and Polish archaeological teams in between global conflicts. Dr. Trnka-Amrhein will talk about the interplay between politics and archaeology, and illustrate how the latest excavation is reshaping the understanding of this fascinating ancient city and its enduring legacy.
Dr. Yvona K. Trnka-Amrhein is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Colorado Boulder. She holds a PhD from Harvard University and has previously taught at Harvard and held a postdoctoral fellowship at Trinity College, Dublin. Her research focuses on Greek and Latin literature of the Imperial period, Hellenistic literature, and Greco-Roman Egypt. She has published extensively, including a forthcoming book Portraits of a Pharaoh: The Sesostris Tradition in Ancient Literature and Culture with Oxford University Press. Additionally, she co-directs the American-Egyptian Mission at El-Ashmunein and has a significant history of archaeological fieldwork and academic presentations.

Zoom | Treason & Tragedy: Death on Tower Hill
2025-04-01 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Meeting
Paul Delaroche, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1834. The National Gallery, London. The 9-day Queen was executed inside the Tower on Tower Green.
While the Tower of London may be infamous for its executions, the majority of beheadings actually took place just beyond its walls, on Tower Hill—a site steeped in political turmoil, betrayal, and bloody justice. In this gripping tour, Rob Smith will unravel the dramatic stories of those who met their fate on this notorious execution ground. Tower Hill became the final stage for some of the most high-profile figures in British history, many of whom had once wielded great power, who found themselves condemned as traitors. We will explore the fate of Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was dragged from the Tower and beheaded by enraged Poll Tax rebels in 1381. Another infamous figure to fall on Tower Hill was Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s once-trusted advisor and architect of the English Reformation. The site also witnessed the beheading of Lord Lovat (Simon Fraser) in 1747—the last man to be publicly executed on Tower Hill. His execution, witnessed by a large crowd, marked the end of an era. This virtual tour will bring to life the gripping stories of those who faced the executioner’s axe—tales of ambition, treachery, courage, and vengeance—while also exploring the historical significance of Tower Hill. Hear about the shadowy events that shaped British history.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | The Country Houses of James Wyatt (1746 –1813)
2025-04-29 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Plas Newydd House and Garden, Anglesey ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Talented, urbane, and highly influential, James Wyatt, RA, was one of the great designers of his age. Architect to King George III, his designs shaped some of Britain’s most remarkable country houses and royal residences. Wyatt trained in Italy (1762–68) and was a master of Neoclassicism, making him a formidable rival to Robert Adam in the 1770s. He designed works for the royal family at Kew and Frogmore, further cementing his reputation as favored architect of the monarchy. His Neoclassical country houses—such as Heaton Hall in Manchester, Dodington Park in Gloucestershire, and Castle Coole County Fermanagh—are among the finest of their kind. He also transformed existing estates, reimagining Plas Newydd in Anglesey and Goodwood House in Sussex, while designing exquisite interiors for properties such as Burton Constable Hall in Yorkshire. Beyond his classical style, Wyatt was a pioneer of the Gothic Revival, designing romantic, medieval-inspired masterpieces such as Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire and Ashridge in Hertfordshire. He also worked on several cathedrals and redesigned the Bishop of Durham’s grand residence, Auckland Castle. Wyatt’s contributions also include work on Christ Church, Magdalen, Oriel, and Worcester Colleges, Oxford. In this lecture, historian and British country house expert Jeremy Musson explores the life and principal works of James Wyatt, shedding light on one of the most versatile and accomplished architects of the Georgian age.
Jeremy Musson, LLB Hons, M.Phil, FSA, is an architectural historian and heritage consultant. Born in London, he was educated at UCL and the Warburg Institute, and worked for the Victorian Society and the National Trust, before joining Country Life, in 1995, where he was Architectural Editor in 1998-2007. He continues to contribute to Country Life; and he is the author of several books, and co-wrote and presented BBC 2’s The Curious House Guest series. A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and an affiliate lecturer of Cambridge University’s department of architecture, he is also Chairman of the Historic Houses Foundation. As a heritage consultant since 2007, he has worked on major historic sites including St Paul’s Cathedral, Ickworth Park, Suffolk, and Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Gardens of Glass
2025-05-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Trelissick Garden, Cornwall
With the global expansion of 17th-century European trade networks, plant collecting became a matter of both economic and intellectual interest in Britain. Exotic fruits and flowers were prized as prestigious displays of wealth and refinement, fueling an obsession with horticulture among the elite. The fascination began with pineapples and soon extended to citrus trees; a trend particularly championed by King William III. By the late 18th century, a glass house or ‘greenhouse’ was an architectural mark of a gentleman’s garden, even if it was only to grow delicate fruits such as apricots or peaches. John Goodall, Architectural Editor at Country Life, will trace the rise, fall, and revival of Britain’s historic glasshouses, exploring their cultural significance and the renewed interest in their restoration today.
John Goodall – Architectural Editor – Country Life
John Goodall has been architectural editor at Country Life since 2007 and has contributed to CL since 1994. He is the author of several books, including English House Style: From the Archives of Country Life and The English Castle (2011). English Castle received numerous accolades: the 2011 Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion and the 2013 Historians of British Art Book Prize (pre-1800). The work also received the G. T. Clark Prize for 2007–2012. He read history at Durham University and took an MA and Ph.D. in architectural history from the Courtauld Institute of Art. In 2003 he joined English Heritage as a senior properties historian. He had written several guidebooks for both English Heritage and the National Trust. He acted in 2007 as series consultant for the BBC 1 series How We Built Britain. Other projects include contributions to the photographic book The English Cathedral by Peter Marlow. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2001. Goodall is a patron of the Castle Studies Trust, a UK registered charity founded in 2012.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Fred Astaire in London
2025-05-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Fred Astaire, 1935 Publicity still from Top Hat, RKO pictures, 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. With his new dance partner, Claire Luce, Astaire expanded his repertoire, incorporating sweeping, romantic movements as well as an English sense of style. His impeccable fashion sense, effortless charm, and refined elegance—central to his 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 yrs as historian. She is the author of Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House, 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 collecting 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 for The London Telegraph, the American Institute of Architects, Oxford University’s Journal of the History of Collections, and The Magazine Antiques.

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | The Lost World of Bletchley Park
2025-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Wrens billeted at Wavedon Manor near Bletchley Park ©Bletchley Park Trust
At a casual glance, Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire resembles any other sprawling country Victorian house that might have been owned by a wealthy businessman: in this case stockbroker Sir Herbert Leon. When Bletchley was purchased in 1938 by the Head of Secret Intelligence Service, the estate quickly went from outdoor country pursuits, to become the nerve centre of Britain’s war: the top-secret headquarters for Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School. Bletchley quickly developed into a place where the nation’s most brilliant mathematical minds toiled alongside cryptographers, debutantes, dons, and factory workers on complex problems with world-wide resonance. Historian Sinclair McKay will reveal the day-to-day life at Bletchley, and the activities of the extraordinary men and women who toiled in secret on the estate—secrets they kept for the following decades. Winston Churchill told them proudly, on a visit to the Park in 1941, that they were “the geese that laid the golden eggs and never cackled.” Based on first-hand interviews of surviving code-breakers, Mr. McKay will also describe the entertainments and furtive Bletchley romances that helped ease the pressures faced by operatives as they worked to decipher German coded messages. Finally, he will chronicle how the estate was abandoned, nearly demolished, and almost became a supermarket, before being heroically saved as a museum.
Sinclair McKay writes for the Daily Telegraph, the Mail on Sunday and The Spectator. He is a literary critic for the Telegraph and the Spectator. He has published extensively on Bletchley Park and codebreakers in his books, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park, The Secret Listeners, and Bletchley Park Brainteasers. Among his other books include Dresden: The Fire and the Darkness (2020) and Meeting Churchill: A Life in 90 Encounters (2023). His upcoming book St. Petersburg: Sacrifice and Redemption in the City That Defied Hitler, is due to be released in October 2025. He lives in London’s East End and can – in theory – walk along the Grand Union canal towpath without interruption to Bletchley Park some 48 miles north.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Behind the Scenes: Georgian Buildings in TV and Film
2025-05-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire ©National Trust/Paul Barker
Britain’s grand Georgian buildings have not only stood as architectural masterpieces for centuries, but they have also played a starring role in some of the most beloved English period dramas. Among the finest NT examples, Lyme Park, Cheshire, exemplifies the Georgian country house’s Palladian style; its grand façade and formal gardens make it the perfect choice for Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in BBC’s Pride & Prejudice (1995). Kedleston Hall, designed by Robert Adam, showcases the height of Neoclassical design—the Kedleston state rooms provide a magnificent setting for the film The Duchess (2008). The Temple of Apollo at Stourhead set the scene for Mr. Darcy’s dramatic first proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in the later Pride & Prejudice (2005) film, while Stourhead’s Palladian bridge and gardens are highlighted in the background. Meanwhile, Saltram, an elegant Georgian mansion in Devon, lent its interiors to Sense and Sensibility (1995), offering an authentic glimpse into 18th-century refinement and taste. Social and architectural historian, Dr. Amy Boyington will explore the histories of these treasures as she traces the development of Georgian architecture and its relationship to 18th-century aristocratic life. She will illustrate gorgeous examples used in period film and television. She will also explore how these houses, as portrayed in film, impacts how we visualize the Georgian period. Identifying these locations in period dramas is not only a delight for viewers (and Royal Oak Foundation members), but their on-screen presence also shapes how we understand and envision the past, influencing our connection to the hallmarks of Georgian architectural style.

Dr. Amy Boyington is a social and architectural historian who attained her PhD in architectural history from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Boyington has worked in a curatorial capacity at Holkham Hall, Goodwood House and Woburn Abbey. She has worked as a research consultant for the National Trust at Stowe Landscape Gardens and for Historic Royal Palaces at Kensington Palace. She was recently a Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage. Her debut book is Hidden Patrons: Women and Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain (Bloomsbury, 2023). She is now working on her second book Decadence & Display (Yale University Press) which focuses on the 18thc country house dining room. Dr. Boyington is a popular historian on social media (@history_with_amy) with over 1.4 million followers.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Essex: England’s Quiet Corner
2025-05-28 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Meeting
Bourne Mill, Essex ©National Trust Images/Megan Taylor
Join Royal Oak for a captivating digital tour of Essex, a county rich in history, natural beauty, and architectural treasures. Led by tour guide Rob Smith, we will explore this southern, low-lying region, home to one of England’s longest coastlines, ancient forests, and charming villages. We will explore Colchester, Britain’s oldest recorded town, where significant Roman ruins—including a Roman wall—offer a glimpse into the past. Nearby, picturesque Bourne Mill, originally built as a fishing lodge, was later transformed into a 72-bucket watermill that produced the high-quality woolen cloth for which 17th-century Essex was famous. Just a short walk away, visitors will find some of the area’s most celebrated inns and pubs. We will venture to Paycocke’s House, a stunning Tudor merchant’s home adorned with intricate woodcarvings and paneling—an enduring testament to the wealth generated by Essex’s prosperous cloth trade. However, no area highlights the outstanding natural beauty of Essex as Blackwater Estuary. This important coastal area is the oldest recorded battlefield in England. Copt Hall Marshes are a remote producing farm along the estuary with an incredible breeding area for birds and waterfowl. Northey Island, a remote tidal island—the single largest block of saltmarsh in Blackwater—is the closest you will get to true Essex wilderness and home to many protected bird species. Travel with us digitally as we explore this quiet county, highlighting incredible areas of natural beauty.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Gainsborough House & Exhibition: Masterpieces from Kenwood
2025-09-25 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Meeting
Reopened in 2022 after a transformational refurbishment, Gainsborough House in Suffolk is the National Centre for the artist Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). The house combines the artist’s childhood home—a Grade I, 18th-century merchant brick town house—with new exhibition galleries and facilities. The house holds the world’s largest single concentration of Gainsborough’s work and presents the artist’s life and legacy through dynamic exhibitions. Emma Boyd, the Keeper of Art and Place, will take us on a virtual tour, showing remaining parts of the old house including the hall and oak doorway dating back to the 16th century. She will describe the history of the house (which stayed in the artist’s family until 1792) and illustrate the current exhibition, Masterpieces from Kenwood:The Splendour of British and French Painting (May 9–October 19, 2025). The show features 18th-century masterpieces by both British and French artists, including Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, Angelica Kauffmann, and François Boucher. These masterpieces, on loan from Kenwood House and collected by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh (1847–1927), are displayed alongside the work by Gainsborough. Ms. Boyd will show these outstanding paintings and reveal how Gainsborough’s art fits within the broader context of the artistic work created by his British and French contemporaries.
Tickets: $25 members*; $35 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Feeding the City: London’s Iconic Food and Drink Factories
2025-09-29 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Meeting
London was the largest city in the world during the 19th century, with an appetite to match. As the city’s population exploded, food and drink needed to be produced on an unprecedented industrial scale. In response, sprawling factories sprang up across the capital, churning out everything from biscuits to gin. Some of these London historic food sites remain active today, while others have been repurposed, leaving behind only traces of their industrial legacy. Through this fascinating virtual tour, Rob Smith will take us back to London’s flavorful past as he explores the food factories that helped feed the population of the metropolis. We will explore the story of the Lyle’s Golden Syrup factory in Silvertown—founded in the 1880s and operating today—producing its famous syrup in the world’s oldest branded packaging. We will learn about McVities in Harlesden, home to beloved British biscuits like the Digestive and Jaffa Cakes, and we will explore what became of Gordon’s Gin distillery, once a powerhouse in Clerkenwell. We will also virtually visit the former Sarsons’ vinegar works in Bermondsey, whose towering vats now house creative studios. Rob will reveal what life was like for the factory workers, the production innovations that shaped their industries, and the legacy left by these factories that shaped London’s culinary and urban history.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | British Abroad: The Grand Tour
2025-10-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
For young men of the 18th-century English social elite, extended travel for pleasure on the Continent came to be seen as an essential component of a well-rounded education. The Grand Tour also served as an important social marker for noblemen and aristocratic gentlemen who had completed their English schooling but were not yet old enough to assume control of their estates. The conventional Grand Tour was generally limited to France and Italy, although some ventured further afield to Switzerland, Germany, or the Low Countries. In his lecture, historian Jeremy Black MBE will explore the experiences of those who undertook the Grand Tour. Using private diaries and personal letters, he will present a fresh perspective on how British aristocrats experienced their travels—from accommodations, transport, food, and souvenirs (such as artworks and sculptures brought back to fill country houses) to entertainment expenses, tipping, and gambling or drinking money. He will also address the hazards faced by travelers, including the dangers of war, illness (sometimes fatal), carriage accidents, and crime. Dr. Black will focus on the realities of the journey, moving beyond the idealized version often portrayed in literature and history. Finally, he will discuss how the Grand Tour shaped both its participants and broader British culture.
Jeremy Black MBE, is a renowned English historian and former Professor of History at the University of Exeter. He graduated from Cambridge and did postgraduate work at Oxford. A prolific author and lecturer, he has written over 100 books, with a particular focus on 18th-century British, European, and American political, diplomatic, and military history. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Meeting Churchill: Personal Encounters
2025-10-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
The Churchills at breakfast at Chartwell, Kent ©NT/Anthony Lambert
In his ninety years of life – an incredible span reaching from the autumn of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1874 to the rise of the Rolling Stones in 1965 – Winston Churchill had encounters with the most extraordinary range of people. From Gandhi to Albert Einstein; HG Wells to Charlie Chaplin; Ethel Barrymore to Maria Callas; Harry S Truman to Joseph Stalin to Queen Elizabeth II. Churchill is remembered best as an inspirational war leader and a young army adventurer. But his vividly rich life also encompassed friendships with – among many others – a Bolshevik ambassador, artists like Walter Sickert, actors like Laurence Olivier and poets like Rupert Brooke. Through the eyes and recollections of all these people, one starts to glimpse and understand new depths in Churchill: his character, his passions, his follies –not to mention his amazing propensity for bursting into tears at the slightest provocation!
Sinclair McKay writes for the Daily Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday and The Spectator. He is a literary critic for the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator. He has published extensively on Bletchley Park and codebreakers in his books, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park, The Secret Listeners, and Bletchley Park Brainteasers. Among his other books include Dresden: The Fire and the Darkness (2020) and Meeting Churchill: A Life in 90 Encounters (2023). His upcoming book St. Petersburg: Sacrifice and Redemption in the City That Defied Hitler, is due to be released in October 2025.

Sinclair McKay writes for the Daily Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday and The Spectator. He is a literary critic for the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator. He has published extensively on Bletchley Park and codebreakers in his books, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park, The Secret Listeners, and Bletchley Park Brainteasers. Among his other books include Dresden: The Fire and the Darkness (2020) and Meeting Churchill: A Life in 90 Encounters (2023). His upcoming book St. Petersburg: Sacrifice and Redemption in the City That Defied Hitler, is due to be released in October 2025.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account
