Hampton Court Palace

For a long time we've been meaning to visit this historic building, most associated with Henry VIII, but also adapted by subsequent monarchs. It was Henry's summer palace, which he took from Cardinal Wolsey after Wolsey failed to secure Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Apparently the hunting was good out here in what was then countryside, away from London. It's possible to get here by boat on the Thames as the Tudors would have done, but that can take hours, depending on tides. We opted for trains, which was long enough.

 

This fountain flowed with wine in France in the Field of the Cloth of Gold--the meeting of Henry VIII and the French King and an ostentatious display of wealth and importance. (Sophia donned a Tudor-like cloak during part of our visit.)

A re-enactment of heated words between two Tudor noblewomen. The lady in black is Anne Boleyn.

The main kitchen fire with lots of racks for roasting meat on spits.

 

 Seated at the head table in the Great Hall

 We completed the maze!

 

Behind is a baroque exterior to part of the palace, renovations which due to financial and other problems William & Mary (c.1689+) were never able to complete. But Sophia preferred William's part of the palace to Henry's (c.1509+).

Tree tunnel

 

King William was known as William of Orange (he was Dutch) and imported orange trees, as well as many other exotic plants, to Hampton Court Palace.

 Lots of wildlife in the gardens: heron,

 Deer,

 Family of swans,

 Geese,

Nesting coots. The male kept bringing sticks back to help bolster the nest.

A honey mead cake with beetroot and carrot that Wes and I tried in the cafe. This was a Tudor-inspired recipe, and it was good. It tasted nearly like carrot or spice cake.