Course Description

From the days of William the Conqueror the British monarchs have been avid builders. Over the centuries they constructed many different residences for their courts. Most were in or around London until the 19th century. Over time these castles, palaces, and houses became ever more grand, reflecting both the fortunes of the builder and the nation. In this 4-week course we will survey some of the more memorable and historically significant of these seats of royal power. After a survey of the older residences, we will focus on those still in use today, like Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Holyrood House, Balmoral, and Hampton Court. In addition to the historical background, the course will focus on the architecture, contents, and ways the current royals use their various “homes” today. 

Bio: Michael McDavid has been interested in history since the second grade. Over the years his primary focus settled on European history, although if it happened in the past it was of potential interest. Michael majored in history as an undergrad at Furman University, then received masters degrees in European history and library science from Emory University. To earn money he was a library manager at Equifax Inc and Georgia State University. During this same time to satisfy his historical itch Michael taught history at Georgia Perimeter College as an adjunct faculty member. Now after retiring from the Boston Consulting Group, he is privileged to offer courses at OLLI on favorite topics such 19th century Europe and his favorite “subspecialty”, the role of monarchy past and present.