Picture it: Hampton Court Palace, 2008
A Regal Walk Through Time
Stories shape our view of the past: what hidden memories or unexpected discoveries spark your imagination when you explore historic places? Share your reflections and let’s dive into the conversation!
In honor of their recent post about Anne Boleyn, I’m posting this specifically for and !
On my first trip to London, my friend Masha and I were determined to see Hampton Court. It was the heyday of The Tudors (when Henry Cavill’s butt was fresh on the screen) and when we arrived, we saw them setting up for a concert that would include Rufus Wainwright…something I still wish we’d known about in advance!
Hampton Court is a fascinating mishmash of the different eras that have inhabited it. Near the front are the parts that Cardinal Wolsely built and where Henry VIII held his court. After his death, the palace fell into disrepair but was later rehabilitated and expanded by William and Mary…at least that’s what I think I remember.
Oh well, the internet loves to tell people when they’re wrong and I suppose this will be no exception.
The important part is that the place feels like two palaces that are sort of smushed together which you can see below.
I’m not a historian (I leave that to
) but I have always been fascinated by castles. They sound so exciting when you read fictionalized stories set within them; however, when I walk the real places, I wonder how comfortable a life where your position is at the whim of the monarch and you’re surrounded by others constantly hoping to use any misstep to their advantage would be.
I’m no great fan of Henry VIII as a person, but I do wonder how much of his reputation was earned through his own ideas versus how many of his increasingly mad actions were spurred on by the powerful men who had his ear and their own interests in mind.
If you’ve never studied history, one of the more fascinating topics that I didn’t encounter until later was historiography: the study of how history is written and the acknowledgment that the way some stories are told changes over time, especially in light of evolving ideas and new information.
To that end, I love seeing the walls and walking the halls of storied places because a little bit of the truth of the place soaks in and I, at least, walk away with a new understanding of what it might have felt like to stand there in some of the most fascinating days of its history.
I’ve had the good fortune to visit London more than once and have a habit of leaving one thing undone every time I go in hopes of having a reason to return. In addition to Hampton Court, I’ve visited the Tower of London and Windsor Castle…but have yet to see Buckingham Palace!
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Oh my goodness it’s so pretty!
I wish I was able to go inside!
This is amazing, thank you so much for sharing!!
It looks beautiful there, from the palace to the gardens. I absolutely have to go there one day!!!!