The world’s first environment-aware, historical AI avatar has been unveiled at Leeds Castle, marking a major step forward in how audiences access and experience history.
Developed using SKC Studios’ conversational AI platform 1956 Individuals, the AI Queen Eleanor experience is the culmination of Leeds Castle’s new exhibition, Pilgrimage of Love: Eleanor of Castile.
The AI installation allows visitors to speak directly with one of medieval England’s most influential yet often overlooked queens, transforming historical interpretation into a dynamic, real-time conversation.
Unlike traditional static digital displays, the AI avatar is aware of its surroundings and recognises when visitors approach. It responds naturally to questions, engaging in unscripted dialogue that allows audiences to explore the past on their own terms. The result is an experience that moves visitors from passive observers to active participants, bridging more than seven centuries of history.
The exhibition explores the life and legacy of Eleanor of Castile, the formidable Queen of England and the first female owner of Leeds Castle. Through original research by Leeds Castle curators, immersive storytelling and innovative technology, the exhibition re-examines Eleanor’s political influence, her travels on crusade alongside her husband Edward I, and her role as a powerful landowner and cultural patron who helped shape the royal English court.
Visitors begin their journey in the historic Gloriette, built by Eleanor in 1278, where the exhibition traces how she transformed Leeds Castle from a Norman fortress into a refined royal residence. Her introduction of cosmopolitan European influences, from tapestries and carpets to tableware and courtly culture, helped establish the castle as a distinctly “queenly” seat of power.
The experience culminates in “An Audience with a Queen,” where visitors encounter the AI avatar and can ask questions about Eleanor’s life, decisions and legacy. The character responds in real time, speaking the three languages she likely used during her lifetime – English, French and Spanish, while capturing the nuances, tone and emotional expression of human conversation.
Dr Dominique Bouchard FRHistS FSA, Heritage and Engagement Director at Leeds
Castle, said: “What’s most exciting about this project is the way it brings people into a more human relationship with the past. We are always striving to help visitors connect with the Castle’s history in ways that feel alive. This new avatar gives audiences the opportunity to learn about the history of Eleanor of Castile as a person, with depth and personality.
“The technology allows visitors to ask the questions they want to ask, moving beyond the questions we as curators might anticipate and engaging directly with the scholarship behind the exhibition. It allows us to share a meticulously researched story in a format that feels immediate and personal, inviting visitors to explore Eleanor’s world with curiosity and confidence.”
Babita Devi, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at SKC Studios, said: “For centuries, history has largely been something we observe through objects and interpretation panels. What we are demonstrating here is a new way to access information. Through 1956 Individuals, knowledge becomes conversational, responsive and immediate, allowing visitors to ask their own questions and explore history in real time. Leeds Castle is at the forefront of this shift, embracing innovation to move beyond static displays and create experiences where the past is not only preserved, but can actively engage with the present.”
The introduction of AI Queen Eleanor represents the first time an environment-aware historical AI avatar has been deployed in a heritage setting in this way. By transforming carefully researched historical knowledge into responsive conversation, the project demonstrates how AI can expand access to culture while maintaining the integrity and authority of scholarly interpretation.
About Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle is considered a national treasure, providing a window onto over nine
hundred years of British history. Its rich and riveting history, including serving six of England’s medieval queens, to its elaborate transformation into a glamorous 1930s country house retreat for the influential and famous by Anglo-American heiress, Lady Olive Baillie, secures its place as one of the most visited historic attractions in Britain. Find out more
About SKC Studios
SKC Studios is a UK headquartered creative technology company that designs and builds conversational AI avatars to transform how people engage with places, culture and information. Their work sits at the intersection of artistic authorship, applied technology, and storytelling- creating experiences that feel human, intuitive and emotionally resonant, shaping the next generation of empathetic AI.
1956 Individuals is the flagship conversational AI platform designed and developed by the team at SKC Studios. It features lifelike, multilingual AI avatars that deliver ethically designed AI experiences aligned with their belief in “AI with heart.” Find out more
