Welcome to the History Extra Podcast, Fascinating Historical Conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine. If walls could talk, what secrets would the walls of a British royal palace whisper?

Well, murder, debauchery, treason and scandal according to a new book by

Professor Kate Williams. Speaking to Kev Lachin for today's podcast, Kate reveals why Queen Victoria hated Buckingham Palace,

how monarchs always know where they're going to die,

and what the future holds for these beloved buildings as the Royal Family

continues to evolve.

Kate welcome it's great to have you on show.

Welcome good to see you.

Your book it lists first year old past some of those big names you expect,

Buckingham, Hampton Court, Hollywood House. Some are perhaps. Less and some have ceased to exist.

What can Royal Palaces, as in buildings just of themselves tell us about the story of monarch and the monarchy?

Everything about royalty is centered on their palace. From the earliest times, the leaders, the chiefs wanted the bigger houses that Wall Palace is

signifying from the very earliest times that this is a significant member of the

community and so the idea that the royal has the biggest the largest the most

palaces and the idea that these palaces act as CEO of royalty they are

HQ, monarchy HQ is really what we see from the earliest of time.

So in terms of what the palace does, it's totally reflective of what the monarchy,

or the monarch himself or herself, thinks that the monarchy should do. So you have

Henry the 8th with his public states for jousting,

fight through to Elizabeth II with a cinema in Buckingham Palace.

So what the monarch thinks is the role of monarchy,

whether or not it's being public sport

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