Something that struck me while touring Hampton Court
Palace was that, unlike the other places we have been to, it was a home for a
specific family. The Tower of London held a lot of prisoners. It was not a
home. It was a place to stay. Windsor Castle has had so many people go through
it into modern days. Buckingham Palace is comparable, but it’s in a very busy
area that is not very private at all.
For Henry VIII and his family, and friend Thomas
Wolsey, it was a home that they had for themselves. Mary was there, Elizabeth
was there, and Edward was there. All of Henry’s wives lived there at some
point. Henry also made sure to make the place as nice as he could. Though he
was very active during his reign (even adding and remodeling Windsor Castle) he
made Hampton Court Palace very special. For one, it is one of the most
beautiful places I have seen thus far on the trip. The garden was absolutely
gorgeous. The work of the place was very rich and stylish. It is obvious that
the place is a palace. Yet the large acres of green space, the position next to
the river, and the red bricks that the Palace was made of made it very homey. The
stonework of all the other places had a strange coldness to it. The brickwork
also made it look particularly fancy in comparison. Something that was Thomas
Wolsey’s goal when he chose red brickwork for the building.
Hampton Court Palace also is home-like due to the
fact that Edward VI was born there. He was even able to be christened at the
chapel inside the palace (the Chapel Royal). Also, Kathryn Parr was able to
marry Henry VIII there. Though, it is sad that his mother died there and that
Henry’s first wife is said to haunt one of the hallways (The Haunted Gallery). According
to the story, she sought to claim her innocence of infidelity that was laid
against her, only to be dragged away by the guards before she could reach the
chapel. It is also nice when I home can be passed down to your children. The
fact that Mary got to use the home on her honeymoon is nice, despite the fact
that neither had feelings for each other.
The palace also seemed a good place to live in
general, even for servants. Henry VIII took pride in the home enough to build
the dining hall and the chapel and to have an area for leisure time. If I were
a monarch in England and could live anywhere, I would choose Hampton Court
Palace or somewhere similar. I may be put off by the Haunted Gallery, but I
would definitely choose that over Windsor Castle or even Buckingham Palace.
Sources:
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