Hampton Court is situated in
Herefordshire, England. It is a palace that has gone through the hands of many important people, including centuries of monarchs. It is home to many historic events that have helped shape the course of events in
England. Although once a private residence to royals, it is now open to the public to tour and enjoy the rich history that one can find there.
The beginnings of Hampton Court Palace started with a group called the Knights Hospitallers in 1236 (Hampton Court Palace). At this point, Hampton Court was just a manor and was used as a place where produce could be stored and accounts kept. The Knights Hospitallers gave Cardinal Woolsey a lease to the manor in 1514. Cardinal Woolsey made numerous improvements to the place: he added his own private quarters, three new suites for King Henry VIII and his family, and a huge courtyard that could house up to forty guests (Hampton Court Palace). Cardinal Woolsey’s pretentious palace exemplified his extravagant ways; many people felt that he was upstaging even the King’s palace with these additions. However, when Cardinal Woolsey fell from the good graces of the King Henry, he lost Hampton Court Palace (Delderfield, Eric R. 64). This is when King Henry VIII took over the palace and started making his own additions. Henry made the palace even more lavish than it had been. Along with re-doing his own quarters at least six times, he added tennis courts, bowling alleys, gardens, a hunting park, kitchens covering 36,000 square feet, a fine chapel, and the Great Hall, which was a huge dining room (Hampton Court Palace). All of Henry’s wives stayed at Hampton Court at some point, along with each of his three children.
The next few royals kept Hampton Court as a place where the monarchs could entertain guests and hold meetings. Queen Elizabeth used it to welcome foreign delegations (Hampton Court Palace). King James I used the palace to hold what is known as the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, where he refused to comply with the demands of radical Protestants who wanted reforms in the Anglican Church. He did, however, agree to a new translation of the Bible which became known as the King James Version of the Bible (Hibbert 125).
Hampton Court has not only been a place for enjoyment and meetings, but has even acted as a type of prison. During the Civil War, Charles I was captured by his enemies and taken to Hampton Court where he was kept as a prisoner. For three months he was held in Hampton Court, although he was treated well while he was there (Hampton Court Palace). He did escape once; however, he was recaptured and later executed.
The next major change to Hampton Court Palace itself happened when King William III and Queen Mary II came to power. They decided that Hampton Court needed to be remodeled, so they hired Christopher Wren and later his deputy, William Talman, to rebuild the palace (Hampton Court Palace). This is probably the most significant change to Hampton Court that can be observed today. Wren and Talman changed the east and south facades from the Tudor fashion into the grand baroque style that is seen in the Formal Gardens today (Hampton Court Palace).
The purposes for the palace changed when Charles III came to power. The royal family had used Hampton Court as their residence until Charles III decided that he did not want to live there. That is when the palace was opened up to ‘grace-and-favour’ residents who were allowed to live in the palace without paying rent because of the great service they had given to the Crown or their country (Hampton Court Palace).
Restoration efforts have been a part of the history of Hampton Court as well. Between 1838 and 1851, the Great Hall, the Great Gatehouse and the whole of the West Front were ‘re-Tudorised’ (Hampton Court Palace). With a fire in 1986, more restoration efforts were made, this time to William III’s King’s Apartments (Hampton Court Palace). Since then, other restoration and preservation efforts have been made so that visitors may get an authentic feel for how Hampton Court has been throughout history.
Hampton Court Palace was a magnificent place to visit. It is rich in history, which I truly appreciated when walking through the palace. So many people have lived there that it seemed like the halls were alive with stories. The grounds and gardens are beautiful, which also have been influenced by the people who have lived in the Palace, such as William and Mary. I enjoyed my visit to Hampton Court and seeing the place where so many influential people have lived. It is impossible to escape the history that accompanies such a place as Hampton Court.
Works Cited
Delderfield, Eric R. Kings and Queens of England & Great Britain. London: Greenwich
Editions, 1996.
Hampton Court Palace. Historic Royal Palaces. 24 May 2008.
<http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/sightsandstories/buildinghistoryHamptonCourtPalace.aspx>.
Hibbert, Christopher. The Story of England. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1992.
