Henry VIII - Hampton Court

Summary

Spend a relaxing day visiting Henry VIII’s palace of pleasure – the extraordinary Hampton Court. Originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, the palace passed to Henry VIII in 1529 and he embarked on an ambitious building programme to create a stunning palace - one that would go on to rival Versailles when it was built over 100 years later. We’ll examine the architecture, and visit the kitchens and State Apartments to look at the nature of his court and how the palace functioned.

We’ll trace the stories of Henry’s last four wives through their associations with the palace: where Jane Seymour gave birth to the long-awaited heir, the Council Chamber where the marriage treaty to Anne of Cleves was signed, the Chapel where Henry learnt of Katherine Howard’s infidelity, and the place where Henry married his last queen, Kateryn Parr.

About Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is an award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster. She is Professor Emerita of History at the University of Roehampton, and a Fellow of both the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries. She has written and edited seven books, presented numerous history documentaries, and hosts the Not Just the Tudors podcast.

She was previously Research Curator at Hampton Court Palace.

Her latest book, The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII, is published by Head of Zeus. Suzannah's other books include 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII (Lion Hudson, 2009) and A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England (Ebury, 2012).

Her television work includes writing and presenting the two-part 'Witch Hunt: A Century of Murder' for Channel 5; the four-part 'Hidden Killers' series including 'Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home' and 'Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home' for BBC4, and her two-series 'Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History' for Channel Five.

Please note: We are not allowed to use our whisper headset devices at the palace.

Tour highlights:

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• Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb, a former curator at Hampton Court Palace, leads a full day’s tour of “the English Versailles”
• Visit the key parts of the Palace associated with Henry VIII
• Entry and lunch at Hampton Court included