Hampton Court Palace comes alive with festive fun this winter with the return of King Henry VIII and his royal court celebrating the season in true Tudor style. The state rooms of his famous palace will soon be filled again with the music, dance and entertainment of nearly 500 years ago.

Winter classics also returning to Hampton Court Palace this year include ghost tours, the outdoor ice rink and performances of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol ensuring there is something for everyone to be jolly about this winter season!

Ghost tours
31 October 2007 to March 2008
Do you dare to walk the darkened halls and cloisters of Hampton Court Palace at night?  Test your nerve by joining one of our ghost tours and hear the spine-chilling stories of paranormal activity witnessed within these historic walls.  Not for the faint-hearted, be prepared to catch a glimpse of or bump into one of our infamous residents!

Ghost tours start on Halloween night (31 October), then every Friday (start at 19.30) and Sunday (start at 18.00) thereafter to end March 2008 (NB: no tours run between 14-30 December inclusive). Tours last 90 minutes, and include light refreshments. Tickets are £25 per person (no under 12’s) and must be booked in advance on 0844 482 7799 regret that due to the nature of the tour route, we are not able to accommodate wheelchair users. 

Get your skates on! Hampton Court Palace’s outdoor ice rink returns
1 December 2007 – 13 January 2008 (excluding Christmas Day)
Dust off your skates and pull out your scarf as the Hampton Court Palace ice rink it back for its fifth consecutive year.  Set against the magnificent backdrop of Henry’s Tudor Palace, this much anticipated ice rink is set to be as popular as ever with children and adults alike.  For six weeks you can gracefully glide (or spectacularly fall!) in this truly magical setting.  If skating isn’t your thing, watch others from the comfort of our traditional carousel.

See notes to editor below for times, ticket prices and how to book.

Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”
17 – 23 December  2007
Bah, humbug!  If disillusioned by the commercialism of Christmas then Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol is a must see this festive season.  A one man show adapted by Robert Perkins and performed by Michael Geary, this intriguing performance is in two acts.  Act one takes place in King Henry’s magnificent Great Watching Chamber, and Act two is in front of the roaring fire in the Tudor Kitchens.  The performance is sure to restore the true essence of Christmas within any scrooge! 

Tickets (adults £15.00, children £8.00) must be booked in advance by calling 0844 482 7795.  Refreshments will be available before the show and during the interval. Performances start at 19.00.

King Henry VIII’s Christmas
27 December 2007 – 1 January 2008
King Henry and his Royal court return to Hampton Court Palace this festive season to celebrate Christmas in true Tudor fashion.  Witness the extravagance of his court as the Tudor apartments come alive with music and entertainment fit for a King and his noble guests, the visiting public.
Event included in palace ticket price. 

Tudor Cookery
1 – 2 December 2007 & 27 December – 1 January 2008
Whilst the festivities above stairs get underway, below stairs our Tudor cooks are hard at work discovering and creating the dishes that tickled the Tudor’s taste buds!  Overload your senses with the sounds and smells of this fully functional Tudor Kitchen, warm yourself by the huge roaring roasting fire, and discover what life was like for those who worked below stairs.  This is a fascinating opportunity to see our famous team of food archaeologists in action as they experiment with recipes, ingredients and cooking techniques to produce a feast fit for a king. And if all that cooking gives you a taste for history why not visit the Tiltyard café in the palace gardens and try their delicious two-course Tudor lunchtime menu!

Tudor Cookery is included in palace ticket price (NB: does not include lunch in the Tiltyard café).

Young Henry VIII
New permanent exhibition
Everyone knows the image of the older, fat Henry, notorious for wars and wives, but as a young man, Henry was one of the most desirable men in Europe.  Discover the true story behind first 20 years of King Henry VIII’s reign in our new innovative exhibition in the Tudor Wolsey Rooms. The display gives visitors insight into the rich and sometimes overlooked period of King Henry’s reign when Katharine of Aragon was the King’s only wife and Cardinal Wolsey was his most trusted royal adviser. The triumphs and tragedies of two decades are innovatively explored using historic Tudor paintings, audio visual displays and interactive touchscreen technology in an exhibition that will surprise and fascinate visitors of all ages.
Event included in palace ticket price.

And finally…what will be in your Christmas stocking?
The Historic Royal Palaces membership scheme is a fantastic Christmas gift for anyone who loves history, buildings, art collections and gardens – or even just fun days out!  Members gain free access to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace for a whole year.  Membership costs just £37.00 a year for one adult, £58.00 a year for two adults and £73.00 a year for a family (two adults and up to three children/one adult and four children). 

Historic Royal Palaces also offers a fantastic range of unusual gifts via mail order, online or in-store purchase.  You will be inspired by the choice – from our exclusive Tudor Court Kitchen Range, Hampton Court Gardens Calendar to a Great Vine Cutting, there is something to suit everyone. And, more importantly, purchasing product from Historic Royal Palaces directly helps to conserve these stunning palaces for future generations, because we receive no funding from the Government or the Queen, all profits from retail sales go back to the charity.