Hampton Court Palace began as Cardinal Wolsey’s ambitious residence before Henry VIII took it over and made it a centre of Tudor court life. Tudor brickwork and later Baroque additions preserve two royal visions side by side, reflecting the palace’s long sequence of changing occupants.
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Hampton Court Palace was not built by Henry VIII. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey began transforming the site into a grand palace in the early sixteenth century, hoping to host the king and visitors from across Europe. The building impressed Henry so much that the king eventually took possession of it.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Cardinal Wolsey began the palace in the early 16th century.
- Henry VIII took the palace from Wolsey.
- William III and Mary II commissioned Baroque rebuilding by Christopher Wren.
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