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36 EUROPE Hampton Court Palace, London

Cardinal Wolsey, influential Archbishop of York to Henry VIII,
began building Hampton Court in the early 16th century.
Originally it was not a royal palace, but was intended as
A TLAI'JTIC Wolsey's riverside country house. Later, in 1528, Hampton
OCEAI'J
f'JORTii
SEA Court was seized by the king when Wolsey fell from royal
(,i RE AT
BR ITAI N favor. The buildings and gardens were then twice rebuilt
~E.LAND
and extended into a grand palace, first by Henry himself and
Birmingham •
.
HAMPWN COURT PALACE, then, in the 1690s, by William Ill and Mary II, who employed
LONDON
Christopher Wren as architect. There is a striking contrast
between Wren's Classical royal apartments and the Tudor
Ceiling decoration turrets, gables, and chimneys elsewhere. The inspiration for
ROYAL TENNIS COURT AND lHE MAZE
in the Queen's
Henry VIII had the Royal Tennis Court built Drawing Room the gardens as they are today comes largely from the time
in the 16th century, as he was very fond of the of William and Mary, for whom Wren created a vast, formal
game. Legend says that he was playing tennis Baroque landscape, with radiating avenues of majestic limes
at Hampton Court while his second wife, Anne
and many collections of exotic plants.
Boleyn, was being executed. When William Ill
moved into the palace in 1689, he had the
gardens and the buildings rem ode I ed. Wren's <Long Water
A man-made I ake runs
design for the gardens included the Fountain almost parallel with the
Garden and the Maze. The Maze was planted Thames, from the Fountain
Garden across the Home Park.
with hornbeams until the 18th century, when
they were replaced with yews and hollies.

THE CHAPEL ROYAL AND lHE
GREAT HALL
Cardinal Wolsey had the Chapel Royal built
during his time at Hampton Court. As soon
as King Henry VIII moved in, he refurbished
the chapel and installed its impressive vaulted
ceiling in 1535-6. The chapel subsequently
became the location for many decisive
moments in Henry's life-it was here that he
learned of his fifth wife Katherine Howard's
infidelity and married his last wife, Catherine Y Fountain Garden A Clock Court ~
Parr. The Great Hall, with its delightful The so-called Anne
hammerbeam roof and Gothic fireplaces, was Boleyn's Gateway is at the
also part of Henry's rebuilding of Hampton entrance to Clock Court
Henry VIII's Astronomical
Court. Stained-glass windows were added to
Clock, created in 1540, is
the beautiful hall, showing the king flanked also located here.
by the coats of arms of his six wives.
CARDINAL WOLSEY AND HENRY VIII v Mantegna Gallery
Andrea Mantegna's nine canvases
The English statesman and cardinal Thorn as
depicting The Triumphs of Caesar
Wolsey (c 1475-1530) was considered the (1480s) are housed here.
most powerful person in England after the
king. During Henry VIII's reign, from 1509,
Wolsey was given the role of managing
England's foreign aft airs, as well as being the
king' s adviser. This important position earned
Wolsey a lot of wealth, but he also had
enemies. His downfall came when Henry
wanted a church annulment from his first wife,
Catherine of Aragon, so he could marry Anne A East Front
Boleyn. Wolsey, aware that his life would be in
dangerif he did not achieve Henry's demand,
proceeded slowly with a request to the pope.
This angered the king, and also Anne, who A Pond Garden
used her influence to remove Wolsey from This sunken water garden
was part of Henry VIII's
court. A few years later, Wolsey died suddenly
elaborate designs.
on his way to face trial for treason.