Here's the latest on our travels abroad!
Hampton Court
Our
last full day in England was spent touring Hampton Court, another royal
palace. Interestingly, Cindy, Tim and William live a short 5 minutes'
drive from this marvelous example of Tudor architecture. Hampton Court's first role as a palace was for Henry
VIII and his six wives. A century later, William III and Mary II made extensive additions. The areas open to the public are extremely well restored,
and the tour guides/docents in period costume provide a fascinating insight into
life in the 16th and 17th centuries.
[As with every page, click on the 'thumbnail' picture to view a larger version...]
The
approach to Hampton Court consists of a long walkway, where you can begin to
appreciate the size and grandeur of the palace. It was fun to imagine what
it must have been like in the 1500s to be a petitioner to the King, approaching
the palace and hoping to have him grant your request!
Another
aerial view of Hampton Court (from a postcard) shows the impressive gardens
surrounding the palace.
Once
we passed through the gate and entered the courtyard, one of the more
interesting features was the clock mounted on the "Anne Boleyn Gate." This
clock had only one hand (for the hour), but also was able to measure phases of
the moon, tides, date (year, month day), and astrological sign... pretty
impressive for the 16th century!
During
our visit to Hampton Court, we were able to take two tours - one of the state
rooms of Henry VIII, and the other of William III. One of the most
interesting facts we learned was that Henry VIII was an avid tennis player , and
that he had constructed an indoor court on the grounds of the palace.
Coincidentally, there were two gentlemen playing the game at that court as we
toured the grounds!
Henry
VIII's Great Hall was the gathering place for those who wanted to approach the
king. It is grandiose in its size and decoration, and was designed to
intimidate those who would approach the King. It also provides a glimpse
not only into the way royals lived their lives, but also the architecture of the
period.
The
Chapel where Henry worshipped is beautifully crafted - the ceiling is decorated
to represent the heavens with its dark blue tones, highlighted wit stars.
His motto: "Dieu et mon droit" - translates to, "God and my right"
and can be seen in the
arches. It is truly a breathtaking room.
Finally,
we toured the grounds. Andrew and I went through the maze near the tea
shop. It took us quite a while to navigate all the tricky turns, but
eventually we found our way out!
And,
in celebration of the Queen's
Golden Jubilee, a pair of floral crowns were erected in the palace's formal
gardens. The design of the crowns is based on St Edward's Crown, used during The
Queen's coronation in 1953. It is amazing what can be created with
greenery - at the base of this beautiful sculpture , in flowers, is the
inscription: "God save the Queen."