As we walked through a couple of rooms in the famous Tudor castle "Hampton Court Palace," I (Rob) took some short videos to give you a feel for the atmosphere in the castle.
THE GREAT HALL - Between 1532 and 1535 Henry added the Great Hall (the last medieval great hall built for the English monarchy) and the Royal Tennis Court.The Great Hall features a carved hammer-beam roof. During Tudor times, this was the most important room of the palace; here, the King would dine in state seated at a table upon a raised dais.The hall took five years to complete, so impatient was the King for completion that the masons were compelled to work throughout the night by candlelight.
SOME INTERESTING HISTORY ABOUT THE ROOM: Henry VIII’s court had dinner there in 2 shifts. The hall has a magnificent timber roof decorated with badges showing the
initials of Henry and his beloved Anne Boleyn.After Anne Boleyn was beheaded, Henry ordered all of Anne's initials removed, but workmen left one in a corner of the room (likely intentionally). According to hrp.org.uk, Shakespeare performed there in front of King James I, and King George I had
the Great Hall made into an 18th-century theatre.
THE KING'S WAITING ROOM / GREAT WATCHING CHAMBER -
When we entered this room, there was a minstrel playing some music, as they might while waiting for the king to arrive.
The Great Watching Chamber was originally the first of Henry VIII's state rooms and was used for entertaining those members of the court who had attained the status of baron or above. What's really amazing is that out of all the King's many residences, each with at least half a dozen state rooms, this is the only one to survive in anything like its original form.
This room was connected to the hallway where Catherine Howard's ghost runs up and down, screaming for forgiveness.The Great Watching Chamber was originally the first of Henry VIII's state rooms and was used for entertaining those members of the court who had attained the status of baron or above. What's really amazing is that out of all the King's many residences, each with at least half a dozen state rooms, this is the only one to survive in anything like its original form.
