Skip to 0 minutes and 13 secondsHello, and welcome to Kew Palace, the glorious backdrop for Week 4 of the course. Last week, we explored the theme of kingship through chocolate, and how Charles II and George I served chocolate as a display of power. We also join scientists from the University of Reading to investigate which method of preparing hot chocolate delivered the most intense flavour.
Skip to 0 minutes and 44 secondsThis week, we're fast forwarding to the reign of George III, 1760 to 1820. There's been a palace here at Kew since the 16th century, but George III rebuilt this one in 1802 because he loved it here. It was a domestic house, a refuge from the hustle and bustle of London, the formal court life of Buckingham House, and a place he could devote himself to family. Because with seven sons and six daughters, family was what George III was all about. And this is so different. Before him, the monarch is alone. Now we've got George III with all his children. And what you see here is the beginning of the idea of the royal firm.
Skip to 1 minute and 29 secondsWe'll be talking to experts here who'll tell us all about the experience of the royal family of dining at Kew, and also the lives of the servants who prepared and served their food. The phenomenon of food and the impact on health is nothing new. We're going to look at it from a Georgian perspective.
Welcome to Week 4
We hope you enjoyed stories of Georgian opulence, and had an opportunity to sample some of the dishes in our Cook-a-long Steps.
This week we thought you might appreciate a change of menu and focus. We continue with a Georgian theme but switch our attention to a different George – King George III (1760-1820). Join Kate at Kew Palace where she explains why we’ll be looking at food in the context of health and family in this later period of Georgian history in Week 4.