What Was Life Like for a Servant at a Royal Palace? | Secrets of Kensington Palace with Dan Snow

Dan Snow explores behind the scenes at the majestic Kensington Palace, the glittering centre of the royal court in early Georgian England. It's a very special time to visit - the Historic Royal Palaces team has been delving deep into the archives to lift the veil of the public facing court and explore the lives of the many people who lived and worked here. Beyond the kings and queens in the stately rooms, there were hundreds of other men and women - people born high and low - who played a vital role in keeping the court going.

This exhibition brings together an amazing collection of objects, many of which have never been seen before. From an ice saw used by Frances Talbot, the 'Keeper of the Ice and Snow' to the revealing scribbled notes of the Master Cook’s Book. From the intricate stitching of Queen Charlotte’s dress, contrasting with the plainer uniform of her dresser, Dan gets up close to objects which build a much more vivid picture of life in this palace, upstairs and downstairs. The extraordinary mural of George I’s court on the striking King’s Grand Staircase, as well as detailed portraits of individuals who worked in the palace, shed light on the real, often forgotten, people who worked, lived or attended court within these palace walls.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.

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[stormangel]

I'm really loving the recent push from historians to research and bring to light the very essential yet often overlooked work the common people did to keep the noble houses running smoothly. Kingdoms and empires would have been nothing without the blood and sweat of the working class and slavery-- just the same as it is today.
I'm glad that even though the vast majority of countless servants and workers went unnamed in history books and underappreciated during their lifetimes, we're beginning to recognise and celebrate them now.

[MiguelMatadotcom]

My friend was The Queens Butler. It's fun watching him in videos hurding the corgies on to the plane. He's proper and friendly.

[TheTudorgirl]

Lucy Worsley has written a lovely book about the court at Kensington Palace: "Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court"- really enjoyed it 😀

[fishonshay]

Finally a video that is about normal folk. I've been craving a video like this. It is rather hard to find videos that aren't about the powerful and wealthy. 🥰💜🎣❣️❣️❣️❣️

[carylgrundy]

It would have been interesting to have a look at the rooms that the staff would live in.

[lorijohnson]

The daily menus, detailed so meticulously! That's something I have never seen. ❤

[kimberleybrown-jy]

My great grandfather had an ice house in Grand Bend, Ontario. He cut ice from the (then pristine) Lake Huron in the winter, and kept it in a barn, packed with sawdust over the summer. As a side-gig, he sold shaved, flavoured ice in the summers, and the whole affair naturally evolved into his having a small general store with lots of sweets and goodies. I remember sitting with him as he carved a little wooden sailboat for me, with a steel keel, natural white cotton/denim sails, and a long string so I wouldn't lose it in the creek. He painted it bright red. He made us little chairs when we were just toddlers. It makes me smile now to go to that property and treat myself to an ice cream at the take out counter that now stands where his store used to be. There was a round, metal soda pop sign on the door saying "Get Kist Here"... and we did.

[VALERIENEWCOMBE-bb]

A GREAT HISTORICAL RECORD OF THOSE WHO WORKED SO HARD.😍

[judyw]

this was very good. i wish it was longer. so many stories of those people i wanted to hear about. history is recorded for the royals, but those who kept the machine working are obscure

[kayleenkrolikowski]

Oh please please...more like this. We viewers have had mere tastes of the behind the scenes or "downstairs" lives. Each time they are presented, the public laps them up. Whether it be through documentaries or movies or television. It's obvious, to me at least, that we ordinary folk desire MORE. Thank you for this and "please sir, I want some more"🤗🌹

[miaself]

Thankyou for the hard work you have put into this documentary. God bless you❤

[StarTexaspets]

As a Chef, the head cooks journal was awesome

[lorisewsstuff]

I would love to see a Downton Abbey type show that features the lives of the royal servants of this period. I bet it was something to see with all the things going on behind the scenes.

[karynfolland]

I really enjoyed that, thank you. And I learnt where the word desserts comes from

[CatherineKeddy]

I wish they showed the personal chambers of the staff and more about their everyday life. Overall...I enjoyed the video very much. Ty.

[BMWseries]

Very interesting as usual. Thanks Dan & Crew.

[nataliavinokurova]

The chef had a wonderfully neat handwriting!

[UtahDelaCruz]

I just visited Kensington Palace for the first time, and it was an amazing experience! The dresses were fascinating, as they were clearly much wider than the doors. Queen Victoria's jewels were stunning. The children's play areas were fun as well.

[Jayjay-qeum]

It's rare for a documentary to cover the life of servants.

[amtmannb.]

Excellent video. I especially loved the real things as the bell and the book of the cook.