Hampton Court

WildChild68 · Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Yorkshire, UK

Hampton Court Palace is a former royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south west London, United Kingdom. The palace is located 11.7 miles (18.9 km) south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames. It is currently open to the public as a major tourist attraction. The palace's Home Park is the site of the annual Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

History
The Knights Hospitaller had operated a farm on the site since 1236. In 1505, the Lord Chamberlain, Sir Giles Daubeney, leased the property and used it to entertain Henry VII.

Thomas Wolsey, then Archbishop of York and Chief Minister to the King, took over the lease in 1514 and rebuilt the 14th-century manor house over the next seven years (1515–1521) to form the nucleus of the present palace. The few remaining Tudor sections of Hampton Court, which were later overhauled and rebuilt by Henry VIII, suggest that Wolsey intended it as an ideal Renaissance cardinal's palace in the style of Italian architects such as il Filarete and Leonardo da Vinci: rectilinear symmetrical planning, grand apartments on a raised piano nobile, classical detailing. Jonathan Foyle has suggested (see link) that is likely that Wolsey had been inspired by Paolo Cortese's De Cardinalatu, a manual for cardinals that included advice on palatial architecture, published in 1510. Planning elements of long-lost structures at Hampton Court appear to have been based on Renaissance geometrical programs, an Italian influence more subtle than the famous terracotta busts of Roman emperors by Giovanni da Maiano that survive in the great courtyard (illustration, right above).

The palace was appropriated by Wolsey's master, Henry VIII, in about 1525, although the Cardinal continued to live there until 1529. Henry added the Great Hall - which was the last medieval Great Hall built for the English monarchy - and the Royal Tennis Court, which was built and is still in use for the game of real tennis, not the present-day version of the game.

In 1604, the Palace was the site of King James I of England's meeting with representatives of the English Puritans, known as the Hampton Court Conference; while agreement with the Puritans was not reached, the meeting led to James's commissioning of the King James Version of the Bible.

During the reign of William and Mary, parts of Henry's additions were demolished, a new wing was added (partly under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren), and the state apartments came into regular use. Half the Tudor palace was replaced in a campaign that lasted from 1689–1694. After the Queen died, William lost interest in the renovations, but it was at Hampton Court in 1702 that he fell from his horse, later dying from his injuries at Kensington Palace. In later reigns, the state rooms were neglected, but under George II and his queen, Caroline, further refurbishment took place, with architects such as William Kent employed to design new furnishings. The Queen's Private Apartments are still open to the public and include her bathroom, bedroom, and private chapel.

From the reign of George III in 1760, monarchs tended to favour other London homes, and Hampton Court ceased to be a royal residence, although it continued to house grace-and-favour residences until the late 1970s, one of them home to Olave Baden-Powell, wife of the founder of the Scouting movement.

In 1796, restoration work began in the Great Hall. In 1838, Queen Victoria completed the restoration and opened the palace to the public. A major fire in the King's Apartments in 1986 led to a new programme of restoration work that was completed in 1995.

Ghosts
Queen Jane Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward, the future King Edward VI at Hampton Court in 1537 and died there twelve days later, and her ghost is said to haunt the staircase in the Palace still. Queen Catherine Howard was arrested there in 1542 and is said to have run along the Long Gallery screaming for King Henry VIII to save her, before his guards caught her and dragged her away. A ghost is said to haunt the palace, sometimes screaming in the same hallway. Others report seeing the notorious King Henry VIII.

In December 2003, it transpired that in October a closed-circuit security camera at Hampton Court had recorded an indistinct image of "a mysterious figure in a long coat closing the fire doors." According to one report, "the palace... maintained that the footage provided conclusive evidence that ghosts exist." A female palace visitor wrote in the visitor book that she may have seen a ghost in that area during this time, also. Explanations for the phenomena have ranged from a psychology researcher's suggestions that it could have been "a member of the public thinking they were being helpful by shutting the doors" to other researchers suggesting thermal effects. According to the Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society, the figure is not a ghost but a tour guide who later admitted to being in a restricted area and closing the doors

sources ~ theghostexperiment.co.uk/aboutlondon.eu

Kaz · Joined: 18 Jan 2009 Posts: 152 Location: Surrey

I love Hampton Court. I have a real fascination with the Kings and Queens of old (not present ones) Henry VIII and his six wives are the ones I find the most interesting.

I also heard that it wasn't until the Victorian period that Anne Boleyns remains were found in an arrow chest.

YB · Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject:

I keep thinking that it looks to "real" to be a spirit. I think it was staged.

andyw · Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 215 Location: Caterham, Surrey

That CCTV footage was a member of staff, not a ghosty. sorry.

YB · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject:

Would be frightening as all heck if it was a ghost....

ALEX LOCKWOOD · Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 238 Location: UNITED KINGDOM

I have also visited the beautiful Hampton Court. My favourite part are the Tudor buildings, esp the Chapel and Great Hall. The Haunted Gallery is said to be frequented by the tormented spirit of Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife. She was exceuted for adultery on 13 February 1542.

Katherine was placed under guard at Syon House, Middlesex, after a distressing episode at Hampton Court. She ran through the Palace shrieking her denials at the charges. Breaking free from her guards, she ran down the Gallery to the door of the Upper Chapel, where Henry was hearing Mass. He ignored her desparate pleas, and her banging on the door [it was locked from inside].

Katherine was dragged away screaming, and her ghost is reputed to re-enact the scene... . Shocked

YB · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

Wonder how many of these stories are real or made up for "entertainment/marketing" purposes?

ALEX LOCKWOOD · Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 238 Location: UNITED KINGDOM

I think most of the hauntings in Royal Palaces and Stately Homes are such 'established traditions', passed down, that it's hard to tell... For example, running through Henry VIII's wives:-

1) Katherine of Aragon. None known. Yet although, I've been to Peterborough Cathedral, where she is buried, I've not visited Kimbolton Castle , where she died in January 1536.

2) Anne Boleyn. Numerous places, including Blickling Hall ['anniversary ghost' - 19 May], Tower of London [St Peter-ad-Vincula, where she is buried, and the Bloody Tower, though she was never held there]. I have visited both of these locations on several occasions, but not Blickling in May. I think her childhood home at Hever Castle is haunted. I've been there too... .

3) Jane Seymour: Clock Court at Hampton Court. Have visited the Palace two or three times, but not experienced anything.

4) Anne of Cleves. Nothing known.

5) Katherine Howard: Haunted Gallery, Hampton Court.

6) Katherine Parr. Nothing known.

Forde · Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Posts: 11

Ooh, I just wrote an article on this place for my blog. Check the link in my sig if youre interested!

ClaraJayne · Joined: 21 Jul 2010 Posts: 54 Location: Burntwood, UK

Real, And it's not a lady it's a man. Mr. Green

ALEX LOCKWOOD · Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 238 Location: UNITED KINGDOM

D B Sweeney · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:38 am Post subject:

I'm sure the ghost stories have been embellished over the years and a certain amount of creative licence is exercised for the benefit of the tourists. The pic/footage posted at the start of this thread has been shown to be a member of staff.

Like most historical hauntings - this has to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

DB

BlackHorse · Joined: 26 Sep 2011 Posts: 1 Location: United Kingdom

I must say that Anne Boleyn's the most interesting. She's my favourite to be honest... Her ghost has appeared in many places she had a connection to: Hever Castle (childhood), Blickling Hall (birthplace?), The Tower of London (place of her execution), Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle (where she lived with Henry while they're married), etc... Many of the experiences people have while visiting these places are pretty similar and nothing so extravagant, which makes it more believable, specially if you're a spiritual person. But who knows? Razz

D B Sweeney · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:32 am Post subject:

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

BlackHorse, welome aboard Very Happy