A M Y S H O R E P H OTO G R A P H Y
Hampton Court Palace
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HAMPTON COURT Palace is the perfect venue to celebrate automotive history – after all, with King Henry VIII as one of its former inhabitants, its walls have witnessed as much drama as any iconic motor race. The first Tudor palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 1500s, but Henry VIII claimed it for himself, impressed by its ambitious design and lavish flourishes. All six of Henry’s wives lived here, and the Palace would be the location for many
extravagant banquets and important court appointments during his eventful reign. Royalty would be hosted at Hampton Court Palace for many years, but its influence on culture is wider. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth were first performed in the palace’s Great Hall for King James I in 1603, while the 1604 Hampton Court Conference would instigate the first publication of the King James Bible. With the passage of time, the
palace evolved further. Charles II had the Long Water constructed in the late 1600s for his honeymoon, while in 1689 William III and Mary II oversaw the new Sir Christopher Wrendesigned Baroque addition to the palace. William and Mary were also responsible for the palace’s stunning gardens. George I decided to undertake a number of additions to the palace, beginning in 1714. This was continued by his son George II in 1727. However
by 1737, the building and its grounds had fallen out of favour and Hampton Court was no longer used as a Royal Palace. It did, however, have a new lease of life as an incredible tourist destination, when its gates were opened to the public in 1838. The demand was such that by 1881 Hampton Court Palace had welcomed more than ten million visitors, helping it to become the internationally renowned destination it is today.
