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Crown, Country and the Struggle for Cultural Supremacy

The changing balance of power and wealth between the aristocracy and the monarchy from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century has fundamentally influenced today’s national cultural landscape of art and architecture.

Art and Power in the English Aristocratic House

This lecture questions this view and shows how, from the sixteenth century, aristocratic families deployed their collections and commissioned their buildings in both town and country in order to further their political and dynastic ambitions.

The Greatest Speech of all Time: Pericles' Funeral Oration

In 431 BCE the Athenian statesman Pericles delivered one of the most influential speeches of all time, his Epitaphios or Funeral Oration. The occasion was at the funeral of the first Athenian soldiers to lose their lives in the Peloponnesian War.

The Greatest Speech Of All Time?

"Every year the Athenians gathered to have a massive public...

Architecture, Images and Image-Making Under The Stuarts

An integral part of the tumultuous political events of the century was the cultural ambition of the principal players who form the subject of this lecture.

Painting, Patronage and Politics under the Tudors

Tudor England was a dangerous place for the wealthy and powerful. Art and architecture was a sign of connoisseurship but also political ambition.

Speechwriting: Creating Authenticity

Simon Lancaster believes that the successful speechwriter is less of a puppeteer and more of an impressionist. In his talk, he will share a number of stories and anecdotes from his time as speechwriter.

The Birth of Modern Theatreland: Covent Garden and the Two Theatres Royal

London is home to two of the oldest working theatres in the world both founded by Charles II’s patents. Professor Thurley looks at the significance and impact of these great institutions on the development of London.

King Henry III and the Communication of Power

This lecture considers how Henry III of England used art to justify monarchy at the dawn of what is commonly termed the ‘parliamentary state’.

Architecture and the Edwardian Era

Edwardian architecture in particular provides a fascinating commentary on broader historical themes – not only in its use of style and its remodelling of old buildings but also in the range of new activities it provided for.

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