Hampton Court

Although the British monarchy as an institution has been ruling the lands of Britain for over 1,000 years, only a few monarchs from the entire time have really gained entrance into the general public consciousness of today. One of the most notable is Henry VIII, whose 16th century rule brought prominence and luxury to Britain in a way never before seen.

Henry’s right hand man was Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a Catholic cardinal who had risen from a modest upbringing as the son of a butcher to the most prominent position at court. Wolsey was a second father to Henry, and their relationship was extremely close through Henry’s upbringing and early reign.

Wolsey, however, was a big thinker. Having risen from an impoverished background, he was keen on wealth, luxury and grandeur on a scale to rival even the King. In 1514, Wolsey – then just Archbishop of York – took a lease on a 14th century manor house on the Thames, named Hampton Court. Wolsey set about updating the design and, over the next two decades, filled it with art and luxury to rival even the Papal palace.

Unfortunately for Wolsey, he had succeeded so well in making Hampton Court beautiful and desirable that the house soon came to Henry’s attention. The King, having been spoiled as a small boy and expecting no less now he was King, soon made his wishes clear; he wanted Hampton Court for himself.

Around the same time – circa 1525 – Wolsey himself was beginning to fall from favor, predominantly due to his failure to secure Henry a divorce from his wife, Katherine of Aragon, so he could marry Anne Boleyn. In a fit of desperation, Wolsey gifted Hampton Court to the King, in an attempt to win back some of the favor he had once enjoyed without thought.

Although Henry took Hampton Court from Wolsey, it did not save the now-Cardinal from this most tempestuous of Kings. Henry ordered Wolsey be arrested for treason; and in Henry’s day, such an arrest could only end on the scaffold. Wolsey, however, was spared the rigors of trial and executions, dying in Leicestershire of natural causes – or perhaps terror – as he was brought to London for trial. Henry did not mourn the loss of the man who had been his closest advisor and confidante, and took huge pleasure in Hampton Court; perhaps displaying a worrying insight into the man.

Hampton Court Palace, as it was renamed, quickly became worryingly connected to the troubles that could be brought on by knowing Henry. Wolsey, who had loved Henry like a father, found little happiness here. Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, was to die at the Palace after giving birth to Henry’s longed for heir, Edward. It was also at Hampton Court that Henry’s fifth wife, Katherine Howard, was arrested for adultery – a crime which, when married to a King, was high treason. Both Katherine and Jane’s ghosts are said to walk the halls of Hampton Court today, while Wolsey’s seal remains in place over the entrance. Hampton Court may have brought Henry great pleasure and pride, but for many of his closest alliances, it was to have as terrifying a legacy as the infamous Tower of London.