Historic Royal Palaces Launches Innovative Wordless Stories for All

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) – the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace – has launched its Wordless Stories project, an initiative to help those who find written text challenging to engage with British history. The stories are told through images and do not include any written text or numbers. They are designed to support reluctant readers, students with learning disabilities and anyone for whom traditional text-based history presents a barrier to understanding. The project has been developed in partnership with special schools local to HRP’s sites, in collaboration with teachers and students. The stories are rooted in SEND-informed practice but will also be accessible to mainstream classrooms, home learners and older audiences. Inspired by the work of the charity Books Beyond Words, the Wordless Stories will each focus on the childhood or early life of historical figures, starting with Elizabeth Tudor. The first story is illustrated by Charlotte Firmin and will be made available online on 14th January 2026. It will explore "traumatic loss, rejection, resilience and self-belief". The second story, illustrated by Danica Da Silva Pereira, will be about the early life of Princess Victoria, while future instalments will include the stories of William of Normandy and the Princes in the Tower. "More than ever, young people need stories that help them navigate an increasingly complex world," said Annette McCartney, HRP’s schools content producer and project manager for Wordless Stories. "Wordless storytelling empowers students to interpret meaning visually, strengthening oracy, visual literacy and analytical thinking. By removing text-based barriers, these Wordless Stories will open up the past to learners who might otherwise find traditional history materials inaccessible and helping further Historic Royal Palaces’ mission to share the stories that shape us all in meaningful and inclusive ways for everyone.”