Historic Royal Palaces - Spring & Summer Highlights 2026

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As spring sunshine returns and summer approaches, Historic Royal Palaces unveil a lively calendar of exhibitions, tours, festivals, and special open days.

Whether you’re drawn by centuries‑old royal stories, family‑friendly activities, or outdoor cultural experiences, 2026 offers memorable reasons to visit the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and Banqueting House. For a full programme of events visit www.hrp.org.uk

Tower of London

Spring and early summer at the Tower of London bring a rich programme for families and history enthusiasts alike.

Family fun is on offer at the Tower of London

Daily highlights at the Tower include Yeoman Warder Tours, the Crown Jewels and object‑handling sessions every Monday, offering visitors hands‑on encounters with armour, coins, and archaeological finds.

Families can also enjoy Duke and Disorderly, a fun theatrical programme running from 30 March to 30 May, bringing chaotic, comic storytelling to the Tower’s historic grounds.

Glide along the River Thames in comfort aboard the Tower of London River Tour. Discover the historical stories shared by a live guide to over 20 iconic landmarks. The tour departs from its own private pier – Tower Bridge Quay, a short walk from the Tower of London; the 40 minute circular tour runs daily every hour.

Hampton Court Palace

The much-loved Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival returns this spring from 11 April with tens of thousands of tulips and vibrant spring flowers in bloom.

Recognised as Britain’s Largest and Greatest Tulip Heritage Garden at the World Tulip Summit in 2024, the festival continues to showcase the beauty, variety and craftsmanship of historic and contemporary planting across the palace gardens.

Daily highlights at Hampton Court Palace include King Henry VIII’s magnificent Tudor State Apartments and the largest and busiest kitchens in Tudor England, Henry VIII's Kitchens which were home to 200 cooks, sergeants, grooms and pages, who produced more than 800 meals a day for the King’s hungry household.

Kensington Palace

Discover the story of Sophia Duleep Singh and five women who shaped her extraordinary life in The Last Princess of Punjab exhibition

From 26 March–8 November 2026, The Last Princesses of Punjab explores the life of suffragette and princess Sophia Duleep Singh and the women who shaped her world. Sophia and her sisters Catherine and Bamba, her mother Bamba Muller, grandmother Jind Kaur and godmother Queen Victoria each expressed womanhood, power, and royalty in different ways; included in admission the exhibition will showcase numerous items which illustrate the stories of these five women and their relationships with Queen Victoria, the Empire, and each other.

Be dazzled by the Jewel Room of Kensington Palace

Victoria: A Royal Childhood, offers visitors access to the rooms where the young queen lived and grew up, as well as the dazzling Jewel Room displaying gems created for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert.

Banqueting House

After an extended conservation closure, Banqueting House reopens for select Open Days across spring and early summer, including 20 March, 3 April, 1 May, 29 May, and 26 June 2026 as well as an extended summer opening period on Thursday – Monday from 3 August – 20 September 2026.

Visitors can once again admire Rubens’ magnificent ceiling, wander through the grand Banqueting Hall, and explore the atmospheric Undercroft, once a favourite drinking den of King James I.

To Book: Admission tickets for all palace visits are available at www.hrp.org.uk or through your preferred booking agent.