Henry VIII, King of England from 1509 to 1547
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On our way to Oxford, we visited our Collioure neighbors Rose and Mike in their home territory of Kingston, near Wimbledon. They took us on a boat ride on the River Thames to nearby Hampton Court. The palace was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the early 1500s, but in 1529, when Wolsey fell from favour, it was taken over by King Henry VIII, he of the 6 wives fame.
Portraits of all the wives are found in the palace, complemented by a temporary exhibit called “The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned,” telling lascivious stories of love, lust and power. Sorry, no photos allowed.
Hampton Court is huge and attractively proportioned, but it is not overly ornate. The enormous kitchen communicates well the equipment and people needed to feed the king and his substantial court. The palace is beautifully presented by an especially friendly staff, some of them dressed to portray characters of the time in little playlets that appear unannounced in various rooms. The grounds are beautiful, and also free. Rose told us they occasionally bike from their home (less than 30 minutes) and picnic on the grounds.
Our visit to Hampton Court was a fine prequel to Pat’s Oxford course on Cardinal Wolsey the following week.
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TRAVEL with pat and lew 