Behind the Scenes: 18th-Century Domestic Servants at Kensington Palace

Between 1689 and 1760 Kensington Palace played host to the ruling monarch and the bustling and world of the court. But the glitter and spectacle of the royal court at Kensington would have been impossible without all of the work that went on behind the scenes, in the corridors and back stairs of the palace. On occasion when the court was in residence, the palace would have overflowed with servants, courtiers, cooks, coachmen, necessary women, mistresses and politicians. In this talk, Dr Olivia Fryman will lead a discussion of the roles of different servants, who they were, and the work they undertook, such as cleaning, laundry, emptying chamber pots, making beds and lighting fires.