LGBTQ+ Histories at Our Palaces (From The Archive)

LGBTQ+ Histories at Our Palaces (From The Archive)

June 18, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

This episode explores LGBTQ+ histories connected to historic palaces, highlighting often obscured stories and their significance in understanding the past and present.

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, but stories of this community are often obscured or misunderstood. We've delved into the archive to bring you this special episode for Pride Month , re-connecting with stories from the LGBTQ+ community . When we explore queer histories, we gain a much fuller picture of societies in the past, from when our palaces were first built, right on through to their more recent history . In this episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam . Together, they discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and what they can teach us about our past, and present. Explore more LGBTQ+ histories from our palaces on our website. Read Matthew's article about Kathleen Woodhouse. Read Molly McClain's article on Stuart women. Find Kit Heyam's books on their website. In this episode we use a range of different gender pronouns to discuss historical people, including those used in the original sources and those used by historians today. Content warnings: Homophobia, including the murder of queer people Transphobia Non-consensual medical examination Suicide

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