Explore our current exhibitions and discover the surprising royal connections hidden in our collections.

Faces of a Queen

See the Armada Portraits of Elizabeth I together for the very first time

Visit the exhibition Plan your visit to the Queen's House

Greenwich royal history

Royal portraits in the collection

From iconic portraits to miniature masterpieces, discover the royal portraits in our collection

Queens of the Queen’s House

Greenwich has been a key location for the royal family for over 500 years

Greenwich Palace and the Tudors

Situated beside the River Thames, Greenwich had been a popular royal residence for centuries

History of the Queen's House

The centre of Greenwich for hundreds of years, the beautiful Queen's House has also been at the heart of royal life

Elizabeth I and the Tudors

Greenwich was the birthplace of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Mary I

Symbolism in portraits of Queen Elizabeth I

Find out more about the Tudor symbols used in portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and discover what they mean

Greenwich Palace and the Tudors

Situated beside the River Thames, Greenwich had been a popular royal residence for centuries

The Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I

The Tudor dynasty was founded in 1485 by Elizabeth's grandfather, Henry VII, when he emerged victorious after the dynastic Wars of the Roses

The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I resting her hand on a globe with a crown in the background

Queen Elizabeth I facts and myths

Did Elizabeth I have red hair? Was she really a virgin? Sift the facts from the fiction surrounding Elizabeth I

Where did King Henry VIII live and die?

Discover how a jousting accident at Greenwich precipitated King Henry VIII's later obesity and death.

Henry VIII and his navy

An important part of Henry VIII's legacy was his establishment of the Royal Navy, encouraging shipbuilding and creating dockyards

Who were Henry VIII's wives?

Henry VIII is one of history's most famous monarchs and best known for his six marriages

Delve deeper

Discover the hidden symbolism of the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I with historian Mary Beard.

Charles I and the Stuarts

The Stuart era saw the founding of the Royal Observatory and the building of the Queen's House

Henrietta Maria

Wife to King Charles I and Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland, Henrietta Maria was a patron of the arts who oversaw Inigo Jones's completion of the Queen's House in 1635

History of the Royal Observatory

Find out more about the founding of the Royal Observatory and how it came to be known as the 'Home of Time'

Why was King Charles I executed?

Learn about the events that led up to the beheading of a monarch

‘God preserve us all!’: Samuel Pepys and the Great Plague

The Great Plague was one of the worst disasters in London's history. Samuel Pepys's diaries provide a fascinating insight into how Londoner's dealt with this tragedy.