The Tudor era, which lasted from Henry VII’s victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 until Elizabeth I’s death in 1603, is best known for its numerous rulers, disturbing family disputes and multiple religious conversions. The Tudors faced a lot from Henry VIII’s six wives and (Queen) Lady Jane Grey’s beheading to costly wars both on foreign land and at home. However, the Tudors had another love, one which is long forgotten - palaces.
During the Tudor times, the number of nobles and barons had shrunk, leading to those who survived being wealthier. As a consequence, many palaces and state homes were abandoned and some in ruins, leading to the richest family in the country - the monarchy - to take over these castles and restore them to their former glory. These palaces were adorned with ornaments from distant relatives from around the globe and were overflowed with massive tapestries depicting the royal family and their most trustworthy advisors. Here are some examples of Tudor palaces and castles, many of which were built or acquired during Henry VIII’s reign:
Nonsuch Palace, located in Surrey
Nonsuch palace was undeniably one of Henry VIII’s greatest building projects and unlike many of its predecessors, Nonsuch palace was built as a lavish retreat, instead of a fort used for refuge during war. Work began on 22 April 1538, when Cuddington village, was destroyed to make way for the palace, with the villagers paid compensation. The palace was most likely named Nonsuch to boast that no such palace existed in Europe.
Nonsuch palace was sold to the 19th Earl of Arundel in 1556 by Queen Mary I, who finished building the village. The palace changed hands multiple times after that, with it returning to Royal hands in the 1590s and once again returning to individual nobles after the English Civil War when several Parliamentarian supporters owned it. When Charles II was invited from exile to restore the monarchy, the palace was given to his wife and then his mistress, Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine. This marked the end of the palace, as Barbara pulled down the palace and sold off the building materials to pay her gambling debts.
Oatlands Palace
It was the year 1537. Henry VIII had changed the religion of the country a couple of years ago and was now looking to increase his wealth and land and was carrying out the Dissolution of the Monastries. In 1537, Henry’s commissioners had their eyes on Chertsey Abbey, a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St Peter and established by the bishop of London, Saint Erkenwald, in 666 AD, and dissolved it, with many of its visitors moving to Bisham.
Henry VIII acquired land of the house and rebuilt it for his 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, with most of the foundation stone coming from Chertsey Abbey. Chertsey Abbey has hosted many queen consorts, from Catherine Howard and Henry VIII’s marriage on 28 July 1540 to Catherine Parr’s multiple visits to Anne of Denmark (the wife of James I) and Henrietta Maria (the wife of James’ son, Charles I.) It also has a fair share of monarchs with Mary I retreating there after her supposed pregnancy and Elizabeth I’s multiple visits and additions to the palace.
The palace changed hands multiple times, with its final two destinations leading to the palace being burned down in 1794, leading to it being remodelled in the Gothic Style of the period into a mansion and the now mansion becoming a hotel after a period of private ownership. The hotel is still open to this date and holds 4 stars.
St James's Palace
Henry VIII commissioned the work to begin on the site of a former hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less. The name of the palace is derived from this and the palace originated from Henry VIII’s interest in having a smaller place of refuge from the busy court.
The palace finished construction in 1536, starting in 1531. The palace was close to the royal family, with 2 of Henry III’s children dying there - Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset on 23 July 1536 and Mary I on 17 November 1558. St James Palace is the London residence of Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice and has recently hosted the proclamation of King Charles III after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Beddington Place
Beddington Place\House was built by Sir Richard Carew and had built the stone manor with a massive great hall, which would have been used as a servant’s dining hall or as a venue for entertainment, with banquets and other events held frequently. Sir Richard’s son, Nicholas was a close friend of Henry VIII and were both about the same age. Henry VIII frequented Beddington when he first fell in love with Anne Boleyn, as Nicholas, who was Anne’s cousin, held secret meetings for lovers at Beddington.
However, Nicholas argued with the King, leading to his execution for treason. After his execution, Henry VIII took the house and the great hall was rebuilt in the 1550s. The house was remodelled in the 19th century and is now a school and isn’t open to the public.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is one of the most famous royal residences, with George II being the last monarch to reside in the palace. Thomas Wolsey, the Archbishop of York, and chief minister spent 200,000 Crowns to build the finest palace in England after taking over the land in 1514. Sensing that the King was plotting Wolsey’s death, he gifted the palace to the King.
Within 6 months of Henry acquiring the castle, he started adding to and remodelling the castle, with the kitchens, which were to cook for Henry’s entire court, being quadrupled. Henry added the great hall, a common feature in the house of that time and built Anne Boleyn’s gate. The palace is home to many historical events, with Anne Boleyn’s execution occurring there in 1536 and Henry’s much-wanted male heir’s birth in 1537. King William III had work done on the palace so that it could rival the palace of Versailles, which destroyed much of Henry VIII’s palace. Work finished in 1694 and now the palace is a tourist spot.
