8-5HamptonCourt

WHAT IS HAMPTON COURT? WHAT IS ITS HISTORY AND ITS LEGACY? //Answer prepared by Bryce P.// Hampton Court and its palace was one of Europe’s most splendid royal retreats during the Renaissance. However, it had more humble beginnings.

The Knight’s Hospitallers of St. John, a medieval Crusaders order, acquired Hampton manor in 1236, using it as a grange. A grange is comparable to a stable or tiny storage farm. In 1494, courtier Giles Daubeney leased the property from the Hospitallers. Although not much is known about Daubeney’s Hampton Court, the property value increased significantly during his short tenure. Even though King Henry VII and his queen had come to Hampton Court, Daubeney’s guest list and building renovations were quickly eclipsed by Hampton Court’s next occupant, Thomas Wolsey. In 1514, although there had been other tenants at Hampton Court, a new 99 year lease was given by the Hospitallers to the Archbishop of York Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey was a very influential man in England, becoming a Cardinal and England’s Lord Chancellor. Most importantly, he was a close friend to King Henry VIII and would serve as the king’s chief minister. Cardinal Wolsey built a vast palace at Hampton Court, drastically transforming the grand private house into a spectacular Bishop’s residence. Wolsey added royal apartments, an imposing double-height chapel, and luxurious private rooms for himself. Not only was Hampton Court a luxurious Bishop’s residence, but it was a key venue in hosting European delegations. On numerous occasions European royals came to Hampton Court to discuss diplomacy with England. Due to the major diplomacy conducted in it, Hampton Court was seen as a “power magnet” of both Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII.

Hampton Court’s legacy was established during the reign of Henry VIII. Cardinal Wolsey lost the property after the pope rejected Henry VIII divorce proposal and Wolsey was found to have been involved. Nonetheless, Henry VIII spent over £62,000 rebuilding and expanding Hampton Court over a ten year stretch. This total equates to around $32,000,000 today. By 1540, Henry finished building Hampton Court Palace. It was the most modern, sophisticated, and most luxurious in all of England. The palace included tennis courts, bowling alleys, pleasure gardens, a 1,100 acre hunting park, massive kitchens, a vast dining hall, a chapel, and a lavatory that could sit 28 people. Water to the palace flowed through lead pipes from Coombe Hill, three miles away. All of Henry’s wives visited the palace in addition to foreign dignitaries, all of whom were treated lavishly while they stayed at the palace.

After Henry VIII death, Hampton Court was hardly built upon by his children Elizabeth, Mary, or Edward. The palace still played an important role as a royal retreat and occasionally hosted foreign diplomats too. Despite its glory in the Elizabethan years, Hampton Court was never more splendid than during the reign of Henry VIII.


 * Works Cited**

“Hampton Court Palace.” __BBC.co.uk.__ [].

“In Search of Shakespeare. England, the 16th Century |.” __PBS.__ 15 Apr. 2009 [].

__Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)__. 15 Apr. 2009 [|http://www.elizabethi.org].

__Renaissance, The Elizabethan World – Life in Tudor England__. 15 Apr. 2009 [|http://elizabethan.org].

“Welcome to Hampton Court Palace.” __Historical Royal Palaces home.__ 15 Apr. 2009 [].