Hello, I'm Lucy Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces.

You're listening to our podcast that explores the history and stories of our six palaces.

These talks are a collection of some of our best live events.

I really hope you enjoy listening.

The Stuart period is marked by decadence and debauchery.

Experience the Stuart caught in all its nuanced splendour in this series compiled from our archive.

In this talk from Historic Royal Palace's curator Dr. Olivia Freiman,

discover the political significance of the royal bed in

the 17th and 18th centuries.

Seminole talk this evening is going to explore the rituals and ceremonies that took place to mark

royal births, marriages and deaths during the late 17th and 18th centuries. For the royal family, these events were of deep personal significance,

but they also had important consequences for the nation.

During this period, political stability and social order were dependent on the royal family,

and as such, their fortunes had a significant effect on the country.

The accidents of birth, the tragedy of death, and the successes or failures of marriages

could make or break a dynasty and define the country's fate for better or for worse.

Because of the significance of these events, it was customary for them to be marked by magnificent ceremonies that took place in the Royal State Bed Chamber, the most important reception room within the palace.

In my talk this evening, I am going to focus on the State Bed Chamber and these Royal Rites of Passage and explore how these events were instrumental in shaping the fortune of the Stuart and

Hanoverian monarchies. What took place in the royal bed, I will suggest, could change the course

of history. During this period, raw beds were not like any other bed. They were most certainly

very different from our own beds today.

It was customary for the monarch to have up to three beds, a magnificent state bed,

...