The Royal Oak Foundation

Zoom | Meeting Churchill: Personal Encounters
2025-10-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 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

Zoom Rental | Meeting Churchill: Personal Encounters
2025-10-29 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, 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.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Glassware, Stone and Beer: Lambeth’s Lost Industry
2025-10-30 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Delve into the rich but often overlooked industrial past of Lambeth, once a thriving hub of craftsmanship and production along the Thames. Guided by Richard Watkins, this virtual tour explores the legacy of the industries that once defined the South Bank—from the artistry of Coade Stone, a remarkable artificial stone used in architecture across London, to the decorative ceramics of Doulton’s, and the bustling activity of the Lion Brewery, where barrels of beer once flowed toward Westminster. Using historical images, maps, and surviving landmarks, we’ll trace how this stretch of riverfront evolved—from a landscape of workshops and kilns to one of cultural institutions and modern redevelopment.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | Glassware, Stone and Beer: Lambeth’s Lost Industry
2025-10-31 12:00 - 2025-12-31 23:30 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the Collections of the National Trust
2025-11-04 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
The National Trust looks after more than 40,000 pieces of dress or costume, including objects of national significance. Some pieces belonged to people who lived or worked in the Trust’s historic houses, while others belonged to unknown individuals. From luxurious attire to practical everyday working clothes, the NT’s assemblage contains examples of women and men’s fashions, children’s clothing, and accessories. While the collection represents 500 years of fashion trends and innovation, it also offers something more intimate than just evidence of material survival; it is a repository of the life traces of tens of thousands of people. Emma Slocomb, Senior National Curator of Dress and Textiles at the National Trust, will introduce her new co-authored book 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the National Trust Collections (Fall 2025). Informed by new research and photography, she will share a selection of the most significant collection items—from the opulence of the Tudor period to the tailoring of the Windrush generation. She will explain how the way people dressed reflected their social power, political tastes, and personality. Finally, she will delve behind the scenes, illustrating the work of the Textile Conservation Studio team.
Emma Slocombe is the National Trust’s Senior National Curator for Dress and Textiles and has been a curator at the National Trust since 2006. Her principal interests lie in early modern textiles, furnished interiors, and histories of textile recycling and repurposing – subjects on which she has published widely. She is currently leading projects that explore the manufacture, exchange and repurposing of a broad range of dress and textiles. Recent publications include ‘Textile Transmissions: Repurposing church vestments in the Reformation’ (National Trust Cultural Heritage Magazine, Autumn 2023) with Professor James Clarke (Exeter University). She also co-leads research into ‘Histories of Childhood’ with Professor Sian Pooley (Oxford University), and authored ‘Fashion at Play: An 18th century doll at Dudmaston Hall’ (National Trust Cultural Heritage Magazine, Spring 2024).
Tickets: FREE for members*; $15 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the Collections of the National Trust
2025-11-05 12:00 - 2025-12-31 23:30 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | Arts & Crafts Connections: The Yeats and Morris Families
2025-11-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Standen House, West Sussex ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Two of the most influential artistic families of the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the Morris’ of England and the Yeats’ of Ireland have rich and fascinating connections. Their relationships offer a compelling window into the shared ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement. At one time the families were neighbours in London and their proximity created personal ties which helped shape Irish and British arts, design, and cultural identity. The earliest link between the families might have been when John Butler Yeats sketched William Morris during his lecture at Dublin’s Contemporary Club in 1886—a fleeting encounter that marked the beginning of deeper artistic and ideological connections. Lily Yeats learned embroidery under the tutelage of May Morris and went on to produce exquisite work for Morris & Co. The influence of Morris’ philosophy is especially evident in the founding of the Dun Emer Guild in 1902 by Elizabeth and Lily Yeats and Evelyn Gleeson. This women-led cooperative sought to revive traditional Irish handicrafts. The sisters’ later enterprise,Cuala Industries, further revived Irish culture through utilizing fine printing and embroidery. Jessica Fahy will trace this incredible creative legacy that bound the two families together. She will illustrate beautiful examples of the Yeats sisters’ works and examine how their collaboration with Morris’ ideals shaped an international vision of art that was both socially purposeful and aesthetically enduring.
Jessica Fahy is a freelance art historian. She sits on lecturer and guide panels for the National Gallery of Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery and UCD School of Access and Lifelong Learning. She gives both private and public talks and tours across Ireland and abroad. She is active online covering all areas of Western Art from the 14th century to the present day. She is a regular contributor to RTÉ Radio 1 arts show Arena. She has a MLitt in Art History from UCD where she also received her undergraduate degree. She completed her MA in Italian Renaissance Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London in 2007.
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | Arts & Crafts Connections: The Yeats and Morris Families
2025-11-07 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | From Castles and Cathedrals to Chalk Downs: West Sussex
2025-11-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Meeting
The ruins at Nymans, West Sussex ©National Trust Images/Clive Nichols
West Sussex is a picturesque county, rich in historic towns, grand estates, and stunning National Trust properties. Stephen Benton will lead us on a captivating virtual journey through its varied landscapes and cultural landmarks. Our tour will include a “visit” to Chichester, a cathedral city, and continue to Arundel, known for the magnificent castle, owned by the Dukes of Norfolk, and charming streets. We will also explore West Dean, a historic estate with beautifully restored gardens nestled in the South Downs—formerly the home of poet and Surrealist artist Edward James. Throughout the tour, Stephen will highlight favorite National Trust sites including 17th-century Petworth House, containing a world-class art collection and a 700-acre park; and Uppark, a 17th-and 18th-century house remarkably restored after a 1989 devastating fire. We will also look at the atmospheric ruins and gardens at Nymans as well as the interiors and gardens at Standen, one of the finest examples of Arts & Crafts architecture and interiors. Finally, we will explore the dramatic landscapes of Devil’s Dyke and the rolling hills that provide West Sussex its timeless character.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | From Castles and Cathedrals to Chalk Downs: West Sussex
2025-11-14 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

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

Zoom Rental | Extravagant to Elegant: Dining at the English Table (1900-1938)
2025-11-18 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, 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, 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, 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: $20 members*; $30 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | Burghley House: 500 years of History, Art, & Family
2025-11-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
©Ashley Hicks
Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, is one of England’s greatest country houses and a remarkable testament to the ambition and vision of William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. The most powerful courtier of the Elizabethan age, Cecil designed the house with Dutch Renaissance architect Hans Vredeman de Vries. Constructed between 1555 and 1587, Burghley’s exterior reflects a striking blend of 16th-century architectural influences, incorporating fashionable French and Italian styles. Inside, the opulent State Rooms house one of the finest privately owned collections of Old Master paintings in England. Over the centuries, the Cecil family also acquired an exceptional range of fine English and Continental furniture, rare 17th-century tapestries, English portrait miniatures, Chinese snuff bottles, over 800 pieces of Asian and European ceramics among other notable works of art. The interiors also showcase dramatic Baroque decorative painting, most famously the Heaven Room and the Hell Staircase, both painted by Antonio Verrio. Burghley has remained the seat of the Cecil family for over 16 generations and is currently home to Miranda Rock and her family. Join Royal Oak members and supporters for a special digital tour, presented by the guardian of Burghley. Ms. Rock will highlight the house’s extraordinary interiors, explore the family’s collections, and share stories about the family’s long history and their role as stewards. She will also discuss the ongoing work of preserving and maintaining Burghley House for future generations.
Miranda Rock is a direct descendant of William Cecil. Her grandfather, the sixth Marquess, set up the Burghley House Preservation Trust. Her mother, Lady Victoria, was the first director of until 2007. Together with her husband, Orlando, and four young children, Miranda lives at Burghley House—something she considers both a privilege and a passion. She has said that she feels that Burghley is not a museum, but a home housing a historical collection, formed of items that the owners have collected over the years. “That is the value of this house, it’s a record of taste. It’s the sort of thing that sends a chill down your spine, knowing that the ninth Earl went to Naples, chose a picture, and you can see where he hung it.”
Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | Burghley House: 500 years of History, Art, & Family
2025-11-19 12:00 - 2025-12-31 23:30 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | English Cottage Gardens
2025-11-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Hardy’s Cottage, Dorset ©National Trust Images/Robert Morris
Featuring an abundant yet modest jumble of colorful flowers, the cottage
garden holds a special place in people’s hearts. The characteristic mix of flowers, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and fruit trees, has its roots in the medieval cottager’s plot. Over the centuries, however, the cottage garden evolved to represent a quintessentially English style. Gardener and author Claire Masset will explore the rich history of the British cottage garden, illustrating the evolution of this informal design style with its cheerful masses of flowers. She will showcase recreations of the 16th-century country housewife’s plot, the relaxed 18th-century writers’ gardens, the “picturesque” 18th-century cottages surrounded by old-fashioned blooms, and the romantic flower beds of the 19th-century Arts & Crafts movement. Even designed 20th-century gardens such as Hidcote and Sissinghurst incorporated informally styled cottage garden “rooms.” Masset will describe the building blocks of this cottage style, from popular flowers and trees to design principles. She will also explain how cottage gardens can be created in small, contemporary spaces. Finally, she will show how British cottage gardens came to embody a natural paradise still beloved by gardeners around the world.
Claire Masset has degrees in art and architectural history from St. Andress and Oxford. She is the publisher for the National Trust in charge of their gardening books and also writes for publications. Her journalism has appeared in Country Life, BBC Homes & Antiques, Period Living, Historic Gardens Review, Gardens Illustrated, Art Quarterly, and The English Garden magazine. Her books include the bestselling Secret Gardens of the National Trust, Roses and Rose Gardens, and Cottage Gardens. She recently won the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors. She gardens in her spare time and lives in West Oxfordshire with her son and two cats.

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

Zoom Rental | English Cottage Gardens
2025-11-21 - 2025-12-31 | NY

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

Zoom Rental | Mistress of Hardwick: Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury
2025-12-04 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 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: $20 members*; $30 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom | British Connections in the Gibbes Collection, Charleston S.C.
2025-12-08 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom Meeting
Thomas Middleton of The Oaks, 1770By Benjamin West (American, 1738–1820)
The Gibbes Museum of Art, located in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, contains a premier collection of over 10,000 art objects. While its works primarily focus on American Southern art connected to Charleston, many objects have British connections. Housed in a stunning Beaux Arts-style building, the museum offers a rich window into the region’s history as a major British colony, where Charlestonians commissioned portraits and collected works painted by English artists. Becca Hiester, Gibbes Director of Education and Programs, will give a virtual tour exploring the museum’s transatlantic connections, with a special look at British-American artist Benjamin West. West, born in Pennsylvania, rose to prominence while in 18th-century London. He earned the nickname “American Raphael” and attracted the attention of patrons such as King George III. In 1772, he was appointed Historical Painter to the King, and later became President of the Royal Academy. Becca will explore West’s work and describe the artist’s connections to wealthy Charlestonians. Finally, she will explain how British art found its home in the Gibbes Collection.
Tickets: $20 members*; $30 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | British Connections in the Gibbes Collection, Charleston S.C.
2025-12-09 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | Christmas in Georgian London
2025-12-09 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Meeting
At the start of the Georgian period, Christmas was a refined and relatively modest affair, especially among the upper classes. Gone were the Tudor boisterous revels. Instead, the holiday was marked by elegant entertainments, subdued gatherings, and traditional fares such as rosemary garlands, Christmas porridge, and the ever-popular buttock of beef. However, by the late Georgian period, shifting changes in custom led to a wave of nostalgia for the festive customs of “Old England.” This change brought renewed enthusiasm for traditional celebrations tied to St. Nicholas Day and Twelfth Night festivities, and the development of new foods and culinary treats. Accompanying the ascension of the new monarch in 1714, King George I, came the now popular custom of serving plum pudding as part of Christmas dinner. Join Rob Smith for a lively virtual tour of Christmas in Georgian London, as he unwraps the layers of tradition, transformation, and theatricality that shaped the holiday season.
©National Trust Images/William Shaw
From candlelit masked balls and extravagant feasts, to bustling frost fairs on the Thames, and raucous pantomimes on Drury Lane. Along the way, Rob will share stories of seasonal indulgence and holiday tales, including a tale of a highwayman who funded his Christmas celebrations through robbery. Join us as we explore how Georgian London celebrated the season and historically peer through the city windows lit by candlelight and alive with holiday cheer.
Tickets: $30 members*; $40 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account

Zoom Rental | Christmas in Georgian London
2025-12-10 - 2025-12-31 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

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

Zoom | Six Islington Squares Virtual Tour
2026-02-18 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Rob Smith will take us on a virtual stroll as we admire the domestic architecture of 19th century Islington. During the 19th Century the farmland of Barnsbury gave way to a succession of building schemes that created some of the worlds first suburbs. Each square was developed by a different landowner with a different architect, so they each have their own look. Rob will look at the people who lived in the squares – theatre critics, journalists, singers and experts in guerilla warfare!
This is a live virtual tour hosted via Zoom meeting where your guide will give an illustrated presentation of the tour route with an accompanying talk. There will be opportunities for questions and interaction after the virtual tour.

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

Zoom Rental | Six Islington Squares Virtual Tour
2026-02-19 12:00 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

Zoom | Bath Assembly Rooms
2026-03-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar, Virtual, United States
Join Bath Assembly Room curators, Tatjana LeBoff and Emily Roy, online for a talk which will reveal the fascinating story of Bath Assembly Rooms, from their glittering eighteenth-century heyday as a venue which hosted Jane Austen, through the many challenges they have faced across the centuries. In preparation our curators have conducted extensive research into the lives of Georgians in Bath from all walks of life, uncovering stories to be shared. Join them as they unveil the changing fortunes of the building, shedding light on the fascinating group of people who first funded its construction, and go on to explore how the Rooms have survived fire and war, as well as shifting fashions to remain one of Bath’s most iconic landmarks. And then what about its twenty-first century future? This talk will provide the ‘inside track’ on the current project to restore the building.

Tatjana LeBoff is a Project Curator for the Bath Assembly Rooms (National Trust), having previously worked for the National Trust at Petworth House, as well as holding contemporary curatorial positions at the Barbican, London, and Pembroke College, Oxford. Having received a BA in History of Art and an MA in Architectural History from UCL she has developed her curatorial skills through research and hands-on experiences. Her interests lie in the interplay between art, design, fashion, architecture, society, food, and the lived environment, exploring how social and individual identities are constructed, conveyed, and reformed. With a focus on how complex concepts can be communicated to a wide audience through curation, dynamic displays, diverse narratives, participatory activity and multidisciplinary collaboration, the experiential and emotive value of art and heritage is paramount to her curatorial practice. She holds expertise in the social history of the long eighteenth-century, alongside that of curating contemporary and site-specific art. She seeks to combine these two areas of experience to create new ways of sharing history with a wider public. Additionally, she is a co-editor on the publication Bath and Beyond: The Social and Cultural World of the Georgian Assembly Room, published by Routledge as part of their Studies in Eighteenth-Century Cultures and Societies series in 2025.
Emily Roy is Project Curator for the National Trust at Bath Assembly Rooms, working on the restoration and presentation of the Rooms and the creation of a new visitor experience, to open in 2027. Her research includes how health, wellness and disability in Georgian Bath intersected with leisure and entertainment. Emily is leading on the historical basis of the narrative content within the experience and the creation of new displays of historic objects, including loans from other National Trust properties, local Bath collections and UK museums. Before this role, Emily was Project Curator for Applied Arts at Bristol Museums, working with collections including textiles, metalwork, ceramics and glass. She completed her PhD in 2022, which was a Collaborative Doctoral Award between the University of Cambridge and the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. Her thesis titled ‘City of Stone: The Materiality of St Petersburg in Print, c.1703-1830’ explored print culture and urban development in long-18th-century Russia. Before beginning her PhD, Emily was Curator at Waddesdon Manor (National Trust, Rothschild Collections), with a special focus on furniture and decorative arts. She has also completed research and cataloguing projects at the Ashmolean Museum and British Library.
Tickets: Free for members and non-members, registration is required

Zoom Rental | Bath Assembly Rooms
2026-03-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Recording, Virtual, New York, NY, 10036, United States

NYC | Alice: An Extraordinary Princess
2026-03-11 18:15 - 20:00 | The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City, 10036, United States
Despite being Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was a little-known member of the British royal family who is often falsely portrayed in film and television. She lived a tumultuous life filled with tragedy but also hallmarked by charity work and incredible acts of bravery. Born congenitally deaf at Windsor Castle in 1885, a birth witnessed by her great-grandmother Queen Victoria, she married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in 1903. From then on, her life was overshadowed by wars, revolutions, and periods of exile. She suffered a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and transferred in 1930—against her will—to a sanatorium in Switzerland. Noted biographer Hugo Vickers will explore the Princess’s remarkable life and describe how she overcame seemingly unsurmountable difficulties devoting herself to charity work and helping the poor. Mr. Vickers will talk about her royal beginnings and her married and family life; explain about her hospitalization and escape; and detail her move to Athens in 1938. He will describe her charity work before and during World War II—including hiding a Jewish family at her home at great personal risk—and her foundation of the “Christian Brotherhood of Martha and Mary.” Finally, he will illustrate her 1967 move to live with her son and his family at Buckingham Palace and discuss how her incredible philanthropic work led posthumous honors in Britain and Israel—where she is buried at the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem. Join Royal Oak as we learn about a remarkable member of the Royal family whose life was as tumultuous and extraordinary as the times in which she lived.
Hugo Vickers is well known as a biographer, lecturer and broadcaster, and is an acknowledged expert on the Royal Family. He has covered events from the first wedding of the Prince of Wales and other royal weddings; the funerals of 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. 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. He has given too many lectures in too many places to keep track.
Wednesday, March 11| 6:15 p.m. (ET) Wine and Cheese Reception Following the Lecture
The General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, NYC (Bet. 5th and 6th)
In-Person:
$35 Members*; $45 Non-Members and Guests
*discount applied automatically when logged into your account

Alexandria, VA | Alice: An Extraordinary Princess
2026-03-12 18:15 - 20:00 | Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S Washington St, Alexandria, 22314, United States
Despite being Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was a little-known member of the British royal family who is often falsely portrayed in film and television. She lived a tumultuous life filled with tragedy but also hallmarked by charity work and incredible acts of bravery. Born congenitally deaf at Windsor Castle in 1885, a birth witnessed by her great-grandmother Queen Victoria, she married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in 1903. From then on, her life was overshadowed by wars, revolutions, and periods of exile. She suffered a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and transferred in 1930—against her will—to a sanatorium in Switzerland. Noted biographer Hugo Vickers will explore the Princess’s remarkable life and describe how she overcame seemingly unsurmountable difficulties devoting herself to charity work and helping the poor. Mr. Vickers will talk about her royal beginnings and her married and family life; explain about her hospitalization and escape; and detail her move to Athens in 1938. He will describe her charity work before and during World War II—including hiding a Jewish family at her home at great personal risk—and her foundation of the “Christian Brotherhood of Martha and Mary.” Finally, he will illustrate her 1967 move to live with her son and his family at Buckingham Palace and discuss how her incredible philanthropic work led posthumous honors in Britain and Israel—where she is buried at the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem. Join Royal Oak as we learn about a remarkable member of the Royal family whose life was as tumultuous and extraordinary as the times in which she lived.
Hugo Vickers is well known as a biographer, lecturer and broadcaster, and is an acknowledged expert on the Royal Family. He has covered events from the first wedding of the Prince of Wales and other royal weddings; the funerals of 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. 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. He has given too many lectures in too many places to keep track.
Thursday, March 12 | 6:15 p.m. (ET)
Wine Reception Preceding the Lecture at 6:15 p.m.; Lecture beings at 6:45 p.m.
Location: Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia
In-Person:
$35 Members*; $45 Non-Members and Guests
*discount applied automatically when logged into your account

Atlanta, GA | Alice: An Extraordinary Princess
2026-03-19 18:15 - 20:00 | Spalding Nix Fine Art, 425 Peachtree Hills Ave Ste 30A, Atlanta, GA, 30305, United States
Despite being Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was a little-known member of the British royal family who is often falsely portrayed in film and television. She lived a tumultuous life filled with tragedy but also hallmarked by charity work and incredible acts of bravery. Born congenitally deaf at Windsor Castle in 1885, a birth witnessed by her great-grandmother Queen Victoria, she married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in 1903. From then on, her life was overshadowed by wars, revolutions, and periods of exile. She suffered a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and transferred in 1930—against her will—to a sanatorium in Switzerland. Noted biographer Hugo Vickers will explore the Princess’s remarkable life and describe how she overcame seemingly unsurmountable difficulties devoting herself to charity work and helping the poor. Mr. Vickers will talk about her royal beginnings and her married and family life; explain about her hospitalization and escape; and detail her move to Athens in 1938. He will describe her charity work before and during World War II—including hiding a Jewish family at her home at great personal risk—and her foundation of the “Christian Brotherhood of Martha and Mary.” Finally, he will illustrate her 1967 move to live with her son and his family at Buckingham Palace and discuss how her incredible philanthropic work led posthumous honors in Britain and Israel—where she is buried at the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem. Join Royal Oak as we learn about a remarkable member of the Royal family whose life was as tumultuous and extraordinary as the times in which she lived.
Hugo Vickers is well known as a biographer, lecturer and broadcaster, and is an acknowledged expert on the Royal Family. He has covered events from the first wedding of the Prince of Wales and other royal weddings; the funerals of 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. 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. He has given too many lectures in too many places to keep track.
Thursday, March 19 | 6:15 p.m. (ET)
Lecture beings at 6:15 p.m.; Wine reception following lecture
Location: Spalding Nix Fine Art
425 Peachtree Hills Ave Ste 30A, Atlanta GA 30305
In-Person:
$35 Members*; $45 Non-Members and Guests
*discount applied automatically when logged into your account
