Royal palaces have been at the heart of our history for a thousand years.
The great hall.Magnificent.
Pious building has produced some of the most splendid architecture in Britain.
The ultimate expression of power and privilege.
Some palaces have vanished,leaving hardly a cule they were ever there.
But many survive,revealing intimate details of kings and queens and their taste for extravagance.
British palaces are temples to monarchy.
Enshrined within their walls are all the clues we need to understand the nature of kingship.
Many monarchs were enthused by architecture-connoisseurs of beauty and elegance.
A few almost bankrupted the nation through their palatial aspirations.
Inside was a world of entertainment-public and private.
They were havens of pleasure.
But sometimes they were also places of fear,oppression and even violent death.
Every palace reflects the character and fortunes of the king or queen who created it.
No buildings in history have more dramatic stories to tell.