Ever wonder what the home of one of England’s most notorious rulers looks like? If so, you need to head to Hampton Court Palace in London. Keep reading to find out more!
A Glimpse of Tudor Life
Hampton Court Palace is located just south of London, right on the river Thames. It’s first royal resident is none other than King Henry VII! Cardinal Wolsey built the palace for himself in the early 1500’s but in typical King Henry fashion, he took it over. The story is, he thought a cardinal shouldn’t have a nicer home than the king so that was the end of that for Cardinal Wolsey.
I found the Tudor kitchens super interesting. Still intact after lots of renovations by subsequent royals, you really get a good idea about what life was like back then for Henry and all his wives 🙂
If It Ain’t Baroque, Don’t Fix It
Speaking of renovations, Hampton Court Palace also boasts a Baroque section which was built during the reign of William III, also known as William of Orange. He was in residence from the late 1600’s until his death in 1702. With your ticket, you get to see the formal rooms where they entertained guests of state as well as their own private apartments. You can see the view from the front is very Tudor but when you get to the back of the palace, the facade is definitely Baroque in style. It is fascinating to see the different styles of decor throughout the ages.
Gorgeous Gardens
One of my favorite things about palaces and castles has to be the gardens. Hampton Court palace is no exception. There are such a wide variety of styles in the gardens here. Hampton Court has over 60 acres of formal gardens including the world’s oldest maze and a giant grapevine. It also has 750 acres of parkland which are home to the descendants of King Henry’s deer herd. I was there in the spring (Wisteria! Tulips!) but I can imagine these gardens have something spectacular in store no matter what season you’re there.
I hope you enjoyed my little tour of Hampton Court Palace! If there is anything else you want to know about my time there, leave a comment below.
For more information about visiting yourself, check out the Hampton Court Palace website here.
If you want to see more of what I got up to in London, check out my post on the sights of London or my trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
