The Crown: Behind the Scenes with the Royal Family August 25 - September 2, 2019

Location  Departure from U.S.

Departure from your chosen US gateway city.

Location   London, England

Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to our London hotel – the private, members-only Sloane Club. Here we will be welcomed by Alexandra Messervy, former Member of the Royal Household of Her Majesty The Queen. After time to unpack and relax, we will make an early afternoon visit to the State Apartments of Buckingham Palace and The Royal Mews. Afternoon tea and refreshments are available in the Palace gardens, and there is a superb Royal Collection gift shop for souvenirs. Audio guides are available, but Alexandra will be able to explain a great deal as we go around. This evening we will have dinner at Hakasaan, a famous Cantonese restaurant that occupies the site of the house where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was born on 26^th April, 1926. We will have a semi-private dining room away from the other diners which will provide an opportunity for Alexandra to talk about The Crown, the program for the week, and the history behind it.

Location  London, England

We begin the day with a private tour of The Cabinet War Rooms and a talk on the memories of Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister in the War years and the early part of The Queen’s reign. There is little doubt that The Queen relied considerably on Sir Winston’s wise counsel, and he was fundamental in the early years of her accession.

Next we visit the Banqueting House, where the only remaining part of the Tudor Palace of Whitehall can be found. Designed by Inigo Jones for King James I, work finished in 1622, and it was here that the execution of King Charles I took place in 1649. One of the last things he would have seen was the magnificent ceiling painted by Rubens in 1630.

We will then have a light lunch in the Boardroom at the Royal Grocer: Fortnum & Mason, hosted by an expert for a talk on Royal dining and entertaining. The afternoon is free to visit a selection of the Royal Warrant Holders in St. James’s and stroll down to St. James's Palace, home of many senior members of the Royal Family and the offices of The Prince of Wales.

This evening, after a chance to change at the Club, we depart for a reception and dinner at the Goring Hotel, the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty and an old favourite of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s. Here, the family of Catherine Middleton chose to stay and congregate before her marriage to Prince William in April 2011. The Goring is set in a tranquil private backwater behind the Palace, and if the weather is fine drinks will be served in the garden before dinner in the main dining room, designed by The Queen’s nephew, Lord Snowdon.

Location   London, England

Her Majesty was crowned at Westminster Abbey, and this morning we will have a special guided tour with our own historical expert, by special permission of the Abbey, with an emphasis on the Monarchy. The Queen, as well as The Princess Royal and Prince William, were married here, and many monarchs are buried within the walls. After time for lunch in the Crypt Café of the Abbey, we depart for an afternoon guided tour of Clarence House (subject to availability), accompanied by Lord Fermoy, cousin to TRH Princes William and Harry and a former Page to Her Majesty The Queen. From here we will be able to view the outside of Lancaster House (used as Buckingham Palace in parts of the television series). After drinks at Claridges with Lord Fermoy, we are then free the rest of the evening.

Location   London and Windsor, England
LocationLocati

This morning we will drive out to Windsor and have a private view of Frogmore or the Castle (date dependent) followed by lunch on the River Thames at Phyllis Court. Situated on the banks of the river at Henley right on the Royal Regatta course, guests will be assured a warm welcome and a delicious lunch here before an afternoon visit to the charming Chenies House and garden (used as the residence of Sir Winston Churchill in the filming of the TV series). We return to London for a free evening.

Location  London, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, England

This morning, we visit the glorious Hatfield House. Here, Queen Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood and the house has been carefully preserved by generations of the Salisbury family. Beautiful gardens compliment the house. From here, we visit to the stunningly preserved French Palace of Waddesdon, which is owned by philanthropist Lord Rothschild. Here guests will be able to enjoy a very special private dinner in The Dairy. Depending on Lord Rothschild’s diary, he may come and say hello for drinks in the Cellars, and talk a little on the world famous Rothschild wine collection.

Location   London, Wiltshire, and Hampshire, England

An excursion from London today takes us first to Wilton House, near Salisbury, which was used as Buckingham Palace in the TV series. We’ll stop in Salisbury for lunch and then a short drive from here takes us to Broadlands, the home of Earl Mountbatten and the Countess, where Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh spent their honeymoon in 1947, and where The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer followed suit in 1981. Broadlands is located in the New Forest, and is a very beautiful country home. Lady Mountbatten is a member of the Sloane Club as are so many of our British aristocracy and the house is only open for a limited time each summer, during the afternoon, for a one-hour guided tour. There will be time to explore the nearby town of Romsey before we head back towards London. On the way we’ll stop at a country pub for supper – probably the award-winning Crab and Boar Inn at Chieveley.

Location  London and Greenwich, England

This morning we visit Kensington Palace, home of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and former home of Diana, Princess of Wales. Here we’ll see the beautifully designed new showpiece, the Diana Memorial Garden, and have a chance for refreshments in the glorious Orangery designed by Queen Anne. This afternoon, we drive to the east of the city to visit the Old Naval College at Greenwich, and a simply stunning piece of Sir Christopher Wren’s Baroque architecture at the centerpiece of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. We’ll have a special private tour of the Painted Ceiling and the Hall. Returning to the Sloane Club, we will have a special farewell dinner hosted by Alexandra Messervy and her husband, Alastair, with special guest, Lord Lexden. A noted historian specializing in Anglo-American history, the constitution and the role of Governments, Lord Lexden will talk on the monarchy and parliament and the link between the British and American constitutions.

Location   London, England to U.S.

Morning transfers to Heathrow Airport for return flights back to the US.