Stories

Visit the filming locations for the television production of Wolf Hall with The Royal Oak Foundation. Royal Oak members enjoy unlimited access to these and all National Trust properties. Take advantage of free entry on your next trip, and don't miss out on our lecture about the true story behind Wolf Hall from Dr. Tracy Borman this May. Learn More

Video: we sat down with Dr. Shelden to discuss lesser-known facts about Churchill, Sir Winston's personal hero, and how the famous Churchill paintings served as a form of therapy for the young leader.

On March 23, Michael Snodin, a design and architectural historian and Chairman and Honorable Curator of the Strawberry Hill Trust spoke to a Royal Oak Foundation audience in New York City as part of our Drue Heinz Lecture Series.

Last night, Royal Oak hosted Lord Sackville, Robert Sackville-West of Knole, in New York City as part of our Drue Heinz lecture series. Sackville's lecture focused on his recently published book, The Disinherited, which examines the parallel lives of his family's "illegitimate" members, and their fight for recognition. Before his lecture, Lord Sackville sat down with Royal Oak's Sam McCann for a brief interview over coffee. Watch as he discusses his family history, what it meant to dig into the family's shadows, and what he hopes his audience takes away from his lecture.

Last week, a veritable treasure came across my desk: our Executive Director Sean Sawyer received a copy of the January 2, 1950 edition of TIME Magazine and passed it onto me. As a college journalism major, the chance to get my hands on any decades-old publication is a treat, but this was not simply another old magazine. This was the TIME “Man of the Half-Century,” featuring Winston Churchill gazing resolutely from the cover, the tumultuous winds of the 20th century blowing behind him. I was unbelievably excited to dig in, and I wasn’t disappointed with what I found. Here are six takeaways I had from a fun morning reading this 65-year old magazine:

By Kristin Sarli, Assistant Program Director Royal Oak kicks off its spring lecture season tonight in Philadelphia with a lecture by Robert Sackville-West, Seventh Baron of Sackville, discussing his family life and home, Knole.

What’s particularly impressive is the way Mirren explores the way the personal and political are inherently linked. While the play centers on political events, Mirren distills them to the personal stakes, imbuing her Queen with vulnerable dignity.