Gorgeous Georgians! 2014 events

2014 is a very important year, as it is the centenary of the First World War. Whilst organisations and museums are commemorating this important anniversary far and wide, there is another 2014 anniversary that promises a variety of days out….

2014 marks the 300^th anniversary of the Hanoverian succession to the British throne. Queen Anne was the last Stuart ruler, who had many unsuccessful pregnancies, and who’s only surviving child died aged 11. The Hanoverians were from Germany, and encompass the four ‘Georges’ that held the throne and gave their name to this period of history.

All of these events look amazing, and are perfect to brush up on your knowledge of the Georgians. Here are my picks of the best this year:

(Please note that a large proportion of these are run by Historic Royal Palaces, as they are the best ones!)

Live Georgian cookery – 18-21^st April, Kew Palace

I know a decent amount about Tudor cooking (through a lifetime of school trips), but not much about what the Georgians liked to eat. This little event might be the chance to find out. It takes place on Easter weekend, and involves watching real chefs cook Georgian recipes that were made for the royal table, although it is unclear how much of it you will get to eat! This event is included in the entry price, and Kew Palace itself is set in Kew gardens, so it is a wonderful day out.

These are my photos; thankfully HRP's photography hasn't gone this downhill! 

V&A exhibition – Designing the Georgians, 22^nd March – 13^th July

I’m not normally a fan of the V&A; I find the Museum hard to navigate and some of the exhibitions have been disappointing. Hopefully this exhibition will change my mind, as it focusses on the Georgian architect William Kent, who focused on bringing Italian architecture into royal residences to mark the new ruling family. A nice addition to any of the other events I’ve listed.

Lucy Worsley talk - Kensington Palace, 30^th April starting at 6.30pm

This is for the benefit of true history buffs, and if you attend you might run into me as I fully intend to go! Lucy is an amazing historian who has done several TV programmes on the Georgians, along with several books on various periods of history. She has so much personality and it is likely to be a great evening.

Georgian Sleepover – Hampton Court Palace, 2^nd May (tickets go on sale in April)

This provides a chance to spend the night in the Palace with a cast of characters from history (including George I). Only for 18+ and is £100 per ticket, but this does include daytime entry into the Palace, and promises to be a unique experience!

Disturbed night's sleep guarenteed!

Georgian Family Festival – 28^th-29^th June, Kensington Palace

The family festival has lots of opportunities for little ones to dress up and take part in the fun, allowing you to dress up as a ‘courtier’ and even have a picnic with George II himself! This event sounds like so much fun, and Historic Royal Palaces have a habit of hiring very convincing actors.

Chocolate kitchens at Hampton Court Palace

It’s hard to put into words just how excited this makes me. To combine two life-long loves, history and chocolate, is just too much to handle….what lucky Georgians! These kitchens have recently been uncovered at the Palace, and are the only example of their kind in the country. The live cooking is taking place on these dates: 18^th -21^st April, 3^rd -5^th May, 7^th -8^th June, 5^th -6^th July, 3^rd -4^th August and 6^th -7^th September.

There is also a lovely little blog post on the opening of the kitchens here - http://blog.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/unwrapping-the-chocolate-kitchen/

There is also a great exhibition on at Buckingham Palace about the Georgians, but I suddenly realised just how long this post had become, and so thought I’d leave it there.

I’d love to know your opinions or questions in the comments below!