Wolsey lost favor with the King because he could not secure from the Pope a divorce for Henry. The Cardinal hoped to return to the monarch's good graces by giving him the palace as a gift. Henry readily accepted the gift (although Wolsey remained out of favor), and Henry enlarged the palace in 1529.
Today, visitors may view several rooms that date to Henry's era, most notably the Great Hall, where state banquets were held.
Numerous people wander the palace in period costume, including "King Henry" himself.
Hampton Court continued to be used as a royal residence throughout the Tudor era, but later kings found the palace to be too old fashioned. The monarchs William and Mary planned to tear down the palace piecemeal while they built a new one which would rival Versailles. Mary commissioned the renowned architect Christopher Wren to draw up plans for the baroque palace. A portion of the Tudor structure was demolished and a new addition was built at the rear. However after Mary died, King William lost interest in the project, and the rest of the Tudor palace was saved. The baroque addition stands in contrast to the original Tudor design.
This lavishly painted stairwell in the apartments of King William is reminiscent of the Painted Hall in Greenwich (see previous post).
The last monarchs to reside in Hampton Court were George I and George II. Visitors may visit a number of rooms furnished in the style of that era.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, Hampton Court was opened to the public.
A visit would not be complete without a walk through the extensive gardens of the palace. The gardens of Henry VIII's era were replaced by landscaping in the grand style of the late 1600s.
It would stagger the mind to know what it costs for the upkeep of all of the palaces and castles that are open to the public! Can't even imagine!
ReplyDeleteThe admission fees for most of these places is rather hefty... around 20 pounds, about $35 US. In addition there are numerous gift shops and snacks shops in each place. So there is a fair amount of income, although I have no idea if it covers the entire cost of upkeep.
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