An afternoon of History at Hampton Court

Having a royal romp at the main entrance to Hampton Court 

The Vandenhauttes, Michel, Ruth and IIona took us out to Hampton Court Palace for a day out on Sunday 8 June 2014 after attending service and having a “picnic” lunch at the parsonage at Halford House.

Glad Reunion in Fair England: The Vandenhauttes hanging out with the Hengs at Hampton Court

Located about 18 kilometres upstream from central London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in the historic county of Middlesex sits Hampton Court Palace.

Hampton Court, King Henry VIII’s royal palace is about 800 years old. It started out under Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, a religious order founded in the 11^th century who acquired the manor in 1236. King Henry VIII received the palace in 1528 as a gift from his former favourite Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who had purchased the property in 1514 intending to make it the finest palace in England.

The palace is in Tudor style with perpendicular Gothic and restrained Renaissance 

ornament.

The clock tower at Hampton Court. I had bought a postcard of this sophisticated-looking clock
when in England for the Raffles Players Drama Tour in 1989.

The gatehouse to the second, inner court was adorned in 1540 with the Hampton Court astronomical clock, an early example of a pre-Copernican astronomical clock. Still functioning, the clock shows the time of day, the phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, the sun and star sign, the high water at London Bridge. The latter information was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge and at low water, London Bridge created dangerous rapids. This gatehouse is also known today as Anne Boleyn's gate, after King Henry VII's second wife. Work was still underway on Anne Boleyn's apartments above the gate when the King, who had become tired of her, had her executed.

We weave through the courtyards to get to the Chapel Royal.
Check out the decorative Tudor chimney pots sitting atop the roof!

John, Christy and Pat examining a painting in one of the hallways.
The portrait of King Henry VIII looms larger-than-life next to them.

We traipsed through some of the rooms and tried to piece together the life of the inhabitants of Hampton Court, King Henry VIII (1509-1547) being the most colourful. His was the Tudor Dynasty which gave the world some of the most memorable kings and queens.

One of multimedia displays which 

very cleverly placed the audience in the circle of discussion

Multimedia dramatic presentations of costumed actors helped
bring the otherwise static rooms, exhibits and artefacts to life

King Henry VIII's not-so-merry wives

King Henry VIII, unfortunately is known for his having had six wives and for breaking with the Church of Rome and proclaiming himself the head of the Church of England because he wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine Aragon who could not produce a male heir. He had been married to Catherine for 24 years!

At Madame Tussaud's in 1989 with the Raffles Players: Henry VIII and his wives 
(plus some extras: Charissa, Tammy, ?? and Karina!)

From left: Anne Boleyn (Wife #2: playing a lute), 
Katherine Parr (Wife #6: with staff in hand), 
Jane Seymour (Wife #3: with hands clasped), 
Kathryn Howard (Wife #5: holding a book on her lap), 
Anne of Cleves (Wife #4: holding a flower), 
and Catherine of Aragon (Wife #1: face covered by black headdress)

Catherine of Aragon was married to King Henry from 1509 to 1533. She was divorced by King Henry only producing Mary who would later become Mary I (1553-1558) (also known "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of the Protestants in an effort to make England Catholic).

Anne Boleyn was married to King Henry from 1533 to 1536. She gave birth to Elizabeth who would later become Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Anne Boleyn was beheaded for not producing an heir.

Jane Seymour was married to King Henry from 1536 to 1537 dying two weeks after delivering Edward, the long-awaited male heir to Henry's throne who ruled as Edward VI from 1547 to 1553.

Anne of Cleves was next; married to King Henry from January to July of 1540. She was mercifully divorced.

Kathryn Howard was only a teenager when she married King Henry who was in his forties in 1540. She was not faithful so she was executed in 1542.

King Henry's final wife was Katherine Parr whom he married in 1543 and who outlived him when he passed on in 1547.

Historical tidbit: King Henry VIII married three Catherines (Catherine, Kathryn and Katherine)!

How the King James Bible came about

The breakaway from the Roman Catholic Church was complete in 1534, King Henry VIII becoming Supreme Head of the Church of England. King Henry VIII was soon petitioned to order a Bible to be published in the common English language instead of Latin, the language known only to the clergy. Several versions of the Bible in English were published between 1535 and 1541 some combining earlier work by Tyndale and Coverdale.

It was not until 1560 that the first English Bible appeared translated in its entirety from the original languages. It was printed in Geneva, Switzerland.

King Henry VIII was succeeded by his children Edward VI, Mary I and then Elizabeth I. Since Elizabeth I died without an heir, a distant relative James VI of Scotland became James I, starting the reign of the Stuart Dynasty.

When King James VI of Scotland ascended the throne of England in 1603, the Puritans petitioned for a Reformation in the Church of England. A three-day conference was held in Hampton Court to sort out the matters. However, King James dismissed most of their petitions and only the notion of a new translation of the Bible was to be answered later.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Bancroft was initially hostile to the project but later co-ordinated the translation of the Bible. Scholars from Westminster and Cambridge worked in teams to translate the Bible with the King James Version being finally published in 1611.

“A book which, if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power” Lord Macaulay of the King James Bible in 1828, more than 200 years after it was first published.

Hampton Court Palace, engraved by Johannes Kip after Leonard Knyff. 
From Britannia illustrata, or, Views of several of the Queens palaces (1707). Ii.9.11
(Photo taken from http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/exhibitions/KJV/hamptoncourt.html)

From Tudor architectural style to the Baroque

When William, Prince of Orangeand Mary of Holland took over the English throne in 1689 as King William III and Queen Mary, they embarked on a massive rebuilding programme at Hampton Court. The country’s most eminent architect Sir Christopher Wren (the man who built Westminster Cathedral) was called upon the draw the plans. Initially the plan was to replace the Tudor style with contemporary Baroque.

This is known as the East Front which was built in 1689 under King William III and Queen Mary

Fountain Court is part of the East Front. Sir Christopher Wren drew inspiration from the palace at Versailles 
but here at Hampton Court the pink brick was a stark contrast to the pale Portland stone quoins, frames and banding. The second floor mezzanine had circular and decorated windows to boot. 

This reminds me of the Alhambra in Spain!

Lamby taking a sip at the fountainat the Casa Real 
(Royal Castle) at the Alhambra in Spain 2007

We ambled through cobbled courtyards, under colonnaded courts and checked out the Chocolate Kitchens.

This was what the Chocolate Kitchen looked like...

There was something for everyone in Hampton Court. We had to quick-step from one room to the next in order to get to the main exhibits we wanted to see. It's not hard to see how this gargantuan 60-acre site with its gardens and buildings was one of the favourite royal residences and still is very popular with tourist and local alike. There is a Great Vine of the grounds planted in 1768 that still yields grapes in late summer! We could not enjoy the magnificent gardens of the palace grounds save a few specimens of greenery!

The children picking fruit off the climbing plant at the carpark!

Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.
Psalm 128:3 New Living Translation

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Psalm 25:11 (NLT)
This tree of gold must surely mean we should speak more right words!!

Christy hand-in-hand with Pipa going through the palace

Ruth and Pat underneath the clock tower. Cardinal Wosley's seal is still visible above the arch of the entrance.

Michel and Dad in the base court 

Court Jesters all: Christy, John, IIona and Geoffrey

The different architectural styles of the four sides just within the base court

Some of us went for a slightly different angle: History at my feet!

Selfies all around base court.
The relief busts of eight Roman emperors adorn the Tudor brick pillars
of the various gates was carved by Italian craftsman Giovanni da Maiano. 

Ornate Tudor brickwork chimney pots sit atop the high walls.
Chim-chimminy! 

The Colonnade 

The rear view of the main entrance of the West Front.
Such a lovely summer sky!

Childhood buddies know how to have a good time anywhere!

Geoff knows what to do when at a fountain...

Taking a break at the fully-working 12-foot tall replica (made of timber, lead, bronze and gold leaf) of
a Tudor wine fountain from the 16th century that was unveiled in 2010. Do note the bags of shopping in hand!

John picks up a unique souvenir for a friend

When it comes to garden shrubs, some are more equal than others!

This sketch of King Henry VIII's crown
on a greeting card has Swarovski crystals!

The afternoon passed too quickly and we bid a fond farewell to our gracious hosts and beloved friends, the Vandenhauttes who have been precious co-labourers in God's Vineyard all over the world. Who would have thought we would have a reunion in fair England, the land of Ruth's birth? God watch between us till we meet again. 

The 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians from the King James Version of the Bible, 1611
(Photo from http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/exhibitions/KJV/pillar.html)

References: Wikipedia

http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/exhibitions/KJV


P/S:

Most people roughly have the same idea when visiting castles.