Tracy Borman’s passion for history and the royals has been recognised by being appointed an OBE for services to heritage. The Tudor expert is the new chief historian at the Historic Royal Palaces, and the BBC spent the day with her at the home of Henry VIII.

Sitting in her office at Hampton Court Palace, once the residence of the Tudor king, his wives and children, Prof Borman recalls how her passion for history was first ignited.

“I fell in love with the Tudors while studying for my A-levels in Lincoln,” she says with a beaming smile.

“But, also, growing up in such a historic city really did fire my imagination, and my first ever job in history was dressing up as a Victorian jailer and showing visitors around Lincoln Castle.

“I just loved it.”

Prof Borman was born in Scothern, near Lincoln, and went to school in Welton. She studied history at the University of Hull before completing a PhD on Elizabeth I.

She has worked for the Historic Royal Palaces for the past 16 years. The charity looks after five royal homes – Hampton Court, Tower of London, Banqueting House, Kensington and Kew – as well as Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland.

But even after so many years, she says the sight of the magnificent Tudor Great Gatehouse at her place of work “gives me shivers up my spine every single time”.

“Never do I arrive at the palace and think anything but complete awe of the place,” she says.

The 16th Century palace was built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, chief minister to Henry VIII, and was the scene of many historic events.

It has also featured in documentaries and dramas, including the BBC’s Wolf Hall.

Walking through the Tudor courtyards and gateways, the 53-year-old revels in the atmosphere of the place and shares a story in each location.

“It’s a dream job being based here – arguably the greatest surviving Tudor palace in the world,” Prof Borman enthuses.

Her favourite spot is a dimly-lit corridor between the Tudor kitchens and the Great Hall.

“I keep thinking I’ll turn around and see a Tudor serving boy carrying a platter of roasted meat,” she says.

A close second favourite place is the Rose Garden “as it gives you such an amazing view of the palace”.

The author juggles her work with her writing and broadcasting commitments, and recently co-presented a documentary on new evidence in the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, more than 500 years ago.

While researching her book Elizabeth’s Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen, she was involved in the discovery of a dress called The Bacton Altar Cloth, which belonged to Elizabeth I and was found in a church in Herefordshire.

Prof Borman says history is as vital a subject as ever because “human history doesn’t change very much”.

“Henry VIII’s break with Catholic Europe could almost be described as the first Brexit, and Thomas Cromwell could be compared to some modern-day figures in politics,” she says.

“When it comes to the Tudors, you couldn’t make it up. You have a king who marries six times, the virgin queen, and it’s such a self-confident age with an explosion of culture and exploration overseas.”

In 2022, Prof Borman was made chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln.

Last year, she heard she was to be appointed an OBE, which she describes as “the best thing that’s happened to me in my whole career”. She will attend her investiture at Windsor Castle with her mother, husband and daughter.

As far as advice for aspiring historians is concerned, she says: “Absolutely follow your passion.

“I still remember sitting at home in Lincoln writing letter after letter to stately homes and museums, just trying to get a job anywhere, and getting all the rejection letters, but I stuck with it because I knew I loved history.

“I would say ‘Keep the faith’ as I really think it is the most rewarding career.”