Pictures of England : Hampton Court Palace
Traveling Photographer In Henry VIII's Palace
Just 11 miles from central London, I believe Hampton Court Palace is the largest of the palaces I've toured during seven visits to England.If it is not the largest then the sprawling edifice and delightfully lovely grounds and gardens make it feel that way!
We spent half a day strolling the grounds, exploring the palace and as 'guests' during the marriage of Henry VIII and his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr.
An entire day would have given us time to relax beside the fountain or the lake and watch the swans, do a little more exploring, and perhaps have lunch in what was originally Queen Elizabeth I's expanded kitchen.
Henry VIII received Hampton Court more as a bribe than a 'gift' from Cardinal Wolsey in 1528. The Cardinal was quickly losing favor with the King due to his inability to obtain an annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Thomas Wolsey had spent tremendous sums on the house when he purchased it in 1514, and transformed it into Hampton Court Palace. Henry remodeled it further to his own extravagant tastes obliterating Wolsey's influence.
Henry VIII built a fortification castle at Falmouth harbor where we spent 2 nights. Castle photos and pictures of England along the spectacular Cornish coast are just a click away.
Although subsequent sovereigns have renovated and re-renovated the palace to suit themselves, Hampton Court is a mind boggling adventure. It is said that at one time there were so many living in it, that records were incomplete as to how many actually resided in the palace. Now that's true rent-free living.
History of Henry VIII from Wikipedia
Hampton Court Palace Time Line Through 1984 from Wikipedia
Tom in The Maze at Hampton Court
We hope you've enjoyed thise photos of England from our 10th Anniversary second honeymoon.
We encourage you to continue your armchair tour by viewing the rest of our pictures of England:
the legendary hills of Dartmoor and Dartmouth Castle,
the awe inspiring vistas of the Cornish coastline,
plus Windsor Castle (home of the Queen)
and Kensington Palace (former home of Princess Diana)
as well as more gorgeous gardens including famous Kensington Gardens in London.
And, if you're thinking of visiting the UK and doing your own photo-shoot, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help you start your plans.
If you have enjoyed your visit to Hampton Court, we suggest you click here to visit Kensington Palace, formerly home of Princess Diana, and now of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
Thank you for visiting. We are always adding interesting and informative pages to this site. We invite you to return soon, and offer your comments about the UK. As always we also welcome your questions.