A building history

Hampton Court Palace from its humble medieval beginnings to the ‘grace-and-favour’ period and today

This is the story of two palaces: a Tudor palace, magnificently developed by Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII, alongside a baroque palace built by William III and Mary II.

An illustration of Hampton Court Palace

A history of Hampton Court's development...

  1. Palace origins
    1. From a large barn on the manor of Hampton to a courtier’s country house
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  2. The Cardinal's works
    2. Thomas Wolsey transforms, then loses Hampton Court Palace
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  3. Magnificent Henry
    3. Henry VIII transforms his favourite palace into one of England's most sophisticated.
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  4. Henry's heirs
    4. Their father’s palace stands up as one of the greatest in Europe
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  5. The Stuarts
    5. Hampton Court remains a pleasure during some turbulent times
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  6. A new palace
    6. William and Mary bring baroque architecture and style to Hampton Court
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  7. The 18th century
    7. Palace development from Queen Anne to the Hanoverians and the final royal visit
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  8. Up to the present
    8. From grace and favour to restoration to visitor attraction - and a fire in 1986!
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