Hampton Court Palace

 When visiting Hampton Court Palace today I was almost immediately in awe of how beautiful and expansive it is. Back when Henry VIII was King, this was where he lived. I was able to walk through his living quarters and learn all about its history, as well as some other remarkable places in Hampton Court Palace such as William III's living quarters, the chocolate kitchen and Henry VIII's kitchens. 

Courtyard at Hampton Court Palace. 

When touring the different living quarters I saw something that reminded my heavily of Windsor Castle; ceiling murals that combine Roman Mythology and modern (at the time) monarchs. In both Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle these paintings are huge and really control the room. Seeing paintings such as this helped me to draw similarities between the two. Though we were unable to access the chapel at Hampton Court Palace today, there is one on the property just like at Windsor Castle. They both have these painted ceilings, armor rooms, and they both are so large you can easily get lost inside of them. 

Ceiling mural inside of the apartments. 

Another thing I noticed today that helped me to draw a connection to another building we saw was the Queen's Stairs leading up to William III's living quarters. These stairs were built by Christopher Wren, who also built some of St. Paul's Cathedral. Seeing his name today was a nice surprise that helped me to truly visualize the era in which he lived, as well as gave me an opportunity to see more of his works! 

Plaque giving details about the Queen's Staircase. 

Inside of Hampton Court Palace there are art galleries displaying beautiful paintings, huge kitchens, and a beautiful garden out back. There were so many different things to see, and I am sure that there are many things I unfortunately missed as well during my tour. All in all, Hampton Court Palace is absolutely beautiful. 

Painting of Queen Mary I


My two questions today are: 

1) Why was this King Henry VIII's home? Of all the places he could have lived and that we have toured, I am surprised that this was his first pick. Was it because it is so far from London? Because it is right on the Thames? Yes, it is absolutely gorgeous, but I do not think that is the only reason in which Henry VIII chose to live here. I would like to learn more about what made him love this place so much. 

2) For monarchs and important royal figures who lived her, how long did it take them to get to London? Was there ever times that they were urgently needed in London but because they live so far away it was difficult for them to get there? Did they have secondary housing for times in which they were needed in London? Or, were they never needed in London, rather anyone who needed them came to Hampton Court Palace instead? 





Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 18, 2024 at 5:21 AM

    I love your thought provoking questions.

    ReplyDelete

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