Hampton Court Palace, Surrey

The Beginning of Hampton Court  

The Palace began under Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century, however, Henry VIII was drawn to it and had it as his home where he lived with all 6 of his wives. The palace was opened to the public in 1838 by Queen Victoria. Since then, it has remained a tourist attraction for millions of visitors as it holds beautiful history and art collections. The palace has also acres of gardens surrounding it which was used for many different nationally important events. Wolsey’s original intention was to build a beautiful building which would host the King, royal court and also other European Monarchs. The building was such a great success that Henry VIII took the palace for himself. 

Henry VIII 

Hampton Court under Henry VIII’s ruling was a palace, hotel, theatre and leisure complex. The palace was used mainly to demonstrate Henry VIII’s extravagant lifestyle. The palace saw some unpleasantries when Jane Seymour, Henry’s 3rd wife died during childbirth, and Catherine Howard, Henry’s 5th wife was arrested and executed at the tower. King James I son, Charles I, held a lot of his art collection within the palace.  

William III and Mary II  

William and Mary took then throne in 1689 and were primarily responsible for the creation of the Hampton Court Gardens. They hired Daniel Marot and Christopher Wren to help with the landscape and building of the famous Gardens and their attractions. The Maze’s origin was controversial when created in the late 17th century. But, in the 1960’s it was replanted and now used as a great tourist attraction. 

References: 

https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/the-story-of-hampton-court-palace/#gs.85l6pu

By Venia, Eurospeak

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