Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father, writer, inventor – remains one of the most famous visitors to Hillsborough Castle in its history. His visit to his political foe, Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, in 1771 offers an unexpected link to the history of US independence.

The two men were so completely opposed that earlier the same year, Franklin had tried to have Lord Hillsborough impeached. In response, there is evidence suggesting that Hillsborough wanted to have Franklin arrested.

Remarkably, the two men found much to agree on at the castle – but would the cordial atmosphere last?

Almost 250 years on from the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, we've delved into the archive to find out.

Learn more about the State Dining Room on our website.

In the Declaration of Independence, signed on 4th July 1776, King George III is cast as a 'tyrant'. How fair is this representation?

In this episode, Kew Palace curator Polly Putnam is joined by Dr Rachel Herrmann, Senior Lecturer in Modern American History at Cardiff University, and Dr Robin Eagles, Editor at the History of Parliament Trust. Together, they explore George III's legacy in the United States of America, and whether this matches what we know about his reign.

How much power did George have over the American colonies? Who is often left out of the story? And was he the 'tyrant' that he was made out to be?

Learn more about George III on our website.

In 1533, the Boleyns seemed to have it all. Anne Boleyn was Queen, and her family were reaping the rewards of Henry VIII's favour. But it was not to last.

Within three years, each member of the faction was fighting for survival as their power evaporated.

In this second episode of a two-part series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Tracy Borman is joined by Gareth Russell at Hampton Court Palace. They explore how the House of Boleyn was dismantled with such devastating consequences. Who, if anyone, dared to try and save them? And who was left as the faction crumbled?

Read more from Tracy Borman: Was Jane Boleyn the most hated woman in Tudor England?

The Boleyn family captivated Henry VIII – but who were they before their meteoric rise to fame? Who were the little-known women operating from Hever Castle? And was Anne's father the schemer he's made out to be?

In this first episode of a new series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey from Hever Castle. They explore how Anne Boleyn's relatives worked their way from Norfolk merchants into the corridors of power, and why they still fascinate us 500 years on.

Read more about Anne Boleyn on our website.

Buy Tracy's new novel 'The House of Boleyn' from our shop.

Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious court of Henry VIII, his journey to power reveals so much about the opportunities and dangers of the Tudor period.

In this final episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman explores the real story of a man often seen as a villain. Joined by Chief Curator Eleri Lynn, she discusses the Reformation, Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell's all-important relationship with Henry VIII.

Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Eleri in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

Thomas More lived by the mantra, 'I am the King's good servant, but God's first'. He would also die by it. His defiance at Henry VIII's break with Rome would be his salvation, and his destruction.

In this episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Dr Joanne Paul to examine the truth behind Thomas More's legacy.

Was he a saintly man of conscience in a court filled with grasping politicians, or a self-righteous heretic hunter? And what does his story tell us about Henry VIII?

Watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Joanne in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace.

Read more about Sir Thomas More's life and legacy.

Thomas Wolsey was born the son of a butcher from Ipswich, yet he rose to become one of the most powerful men in Tudor England as Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. He was even known as 'The Other King', and built a palace that rivalled Henry VIII's.

This spectacular rise was only matched by the drama of his fall.

In this first episode of our new series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Elizabeth Norton to explore Wolsey's time in Henry's court. How powerful was he? Why did he fall from Henry VIII's favour? And what legacy did he leave behind?

Read more about Thomas Wolsey and see inside his palace at Hampton Court on our website.