Drop-in

Essential information

Type
Talks and tours
Location
Date and times Tuesday 6 October 2026 | 1pm-1.50pm
Prices Free

In Tudor and Stuart England, cactuses and Chesapeake plants grew in London gardens, and much of the silver gleaming in banquets had once travelled on the backs of mules across Panama. 

Join Lauren Working, author of A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Renaissance England (Faber, 2026), to explore what queenly portraits, classical architecture, and the orangery at the Queen’s House can reveal about English history and heritage in this age of expansion. 

In this talk, Working will uncover Venezuelan pearls, Brazilian sugar, and tobacco flowers in everything from the glittering ‘Armada Portrait’ of Elizabeth I to Henrietta Maria’s interest in tropical plants, to shed light on the sometimes unexpected connections between royal women and the Atlantic world.

This talk is part of a series of events taking place in the Queen's House for the Association for Art History's Art History Festival. The annual celebration sees museums, galleries and cultural venues across the UK host free talks, tours and workshops, to showcase the richness of art history.

What’s on

Talks and tours | Art and culture

Queen's House Treasures Tour with drinks on the balcony

Learn about the history of the former royal residence and enjoy a drink in picturesque surroundings
Select Sundays between August and October 2026 at 3.30pm | Next date to be confirmed
Adult: £25 (plus £3 booking fee per booking); Adult Members: £22.50
Queen's House
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

DEBUT at the Queen’s House

Come to an evening of enchanting classical music as part of DEBUT's acclaimed 'Secret Concerts' series
Thursday 3 September 2026 | VIP experience at 6pm | Classic experience at 6.30pm
Adult £35 | VIP Adult £60 (+£3 booking fee) | Adult Member £31.50 | VIP Adult Member £54
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Art and culture

Art History Festival: Artemisia Gentileschi’s ‘Susanna and the Elders’ at the Queen’s House

Uncover the story behind a rediscovered masterpiece by Artemisia Gentileschi, on loan to the Queen's House from the Royal Collection. This talk is part of the Association for Art History's Art History Festival
Monday 5 October 2026 | 1pm-1.45pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Art and culture

Art History Festival – Pearls, Sugar, & Tobacco Flowers: English Queens in an Atlantic World

Historian Lauren Working explores how the Atlantic World shaped Early Modern England, as seen in the art and architecture of the Queen's House. This free talk is part of the Association for Art History's Art History Festival
Tuesday 6 October 2026 | 1pm-1.50pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Art and culture

Art History Festival: 'Held Tenderly' by Sharon Walters

Explore the influences behind artist Sharon Walters' work in the Queen's House in this free talk, as part of the Association for Art History's Art History Festival
Wednesday 7 October | 1pm-1.45pm
Free
Queen's House