Hampton Court Palace

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The flamboyant Tudor monarch, Henry VIII is most associated with this majestic Palace. He lavished money on fabulous tapestries and paintings, housed and fed a huge court and pursued a succession of wives, political power and domination over Rome. However, the elegance and romance of the palace owes much to the Baroque buildings created by Sir Christopher Wren for the joint monarchs William and Mary at the end of the 17th century.

The palace is set in 60 acres of formal gardens and more than 750 acres of parkland.

Life at the Royal Court
The Tudors, Stuarts and even Georgian monarchs really enjoyed living and entertaining in this grand palace and nowhere is this more apparent than in the furnishings and decoration of both the Tudor and Baroque State rooms.

Henry VIII's State Apartments
It took just ten years for Henry VIII to transform Hampton Court from a courtier's country home into a magnificent royal residence. Much of his majestic Tudor palaces still survives today, and is among the most important of its kind in existence. Step back in time and marvel at the breathtaking splendour of the state rooms including the Great Hall, the Chapel Royal and the infamous Haunted Gallery.

Young Henry VIII Exhibition
Enter this fascinating permanent exhibition exploring the stereotypes that have overshadowed the true characters and stories of Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and Katherine of Aragon for centuries.

The Tudor Kitchens
What tickled a Tudor's taste buds? This is your chance to explore the fascinating, practical side of royal life in the enormous Tudor kitchens, which are the most extensive surviving 16th century kitchens in Europe today. You can smell the boiling beef, hear the bubbling cauldrons and feel the heat from the fire.

The Gardens
The palace's 60 acres of magnificent gardens run down to the River Thames and feature fountains, the beautifully restored Privy Garden, famous maze and, at 229 years of age and at over 36.5 metres long, the oldest and largest known grapevine in the world.

Audio Guides
Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.