Hampton Court Palace is set beside a beautiful stretch of the River Thames. It was built in 1514 and although it had been resided in by many Royal families, it is synonymous with Henry VIII and his wives. It is even said to be haunted by the ghosts of two of them - Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard. You may the saying 'Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived'. Tour Hampton Court Palace to discover which outcome applied to which of Henry VIII six wives.
Situated at Hampton Court is the world-famous astronomical clock, built in 1540, a must see for anyone who wishes to tour the Palace. Don’t forget to visit one of the earliest hedge mazes in Britain while you are there – just don’t get lost! Lots of other stuff to see and do at the Palace including bicylce tours, overnight stays, fishing events, royal feasts, medieval festivals and the annual flower show held in early July.
Although the residence was originally built for one of Henry's advisors, Cardinal Wolsey, it was gifted to the king to elevate Wolsey's status within society and the court.
Five out of six of Henry's wives lived at the palace and it was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Henry's daughter Mary (Elizabeth's half-sister) spent her honeymoon at the Palace. During the Stuart period shows were held in the Great Hall and in 1604 the Hampton Court Conference took place - a meeting of English Puritans with King James I.
King Charles I lived at Hampton Court Palace in his capacity as King and also as Oliver Cromwell's prisoner during the English Civil War.
After the Restoration the Palace started to show its age and kings such as Charles II and James II, although they visited the Palace, preferred to reside elsewhere.
William and Mary reigned jointly from 1689 and made extensive alterations to the Palace.
George I made further additions to the Palace and the last monarch in residence was George II. Queen Victoria accorded access to the public and granted individuals occupancy by 'grace and favor'. Currently the Palace is in the possession of Queen Elizabeth II and the Crown.
When touring Hampton Court Palace it is easy to get swept away by its beauty. It is a stunning mixture of Tudor and Baroque styles which by fate seems to work together by the use of pink brick and the rough symmetry of the lower levels. Wolsey's original building of 1514 was constructed in the Tudor style. Once in King Henry's possession the Palace was extended so as to be able to accommodate the court. Much of the Tudor building was destroyed by Baroque style extensions implimented by King William III in the following century - a feat meant to rival the Palace of Versailles.
William and Mary had great plans for the Palace including demolishing the Tudor building to be replaced piece by piece by an imposing Baroque palace. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was employed to draw up plans but these were ultimately abandoned. During continuing work however Henry's private state rooms were lost and new state rooms built for the King and Queen.
After William's death his sister-in-law Queen Anne completed decorations.
The grounds we see today were arranged in the grand style in the late 17th century and there are no surviving components of the original grounds from the time of Henry. Features designed for Wren's Versaille style palace include a semicircular parterre, avenues and the Long Water great canal excavated during the reign of King Charles II.
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