Royal progress day 12

Day 12 Hampton Court Palace The world knows this Palace to be the home of Henry VIII. We were staying right across the road from the main gates of the Palace. We had an early appointment for a “real” tennis lesson, the game that Henry played on this very court! We were first in when the doors opened and headed straight for the Great Hall with its fantastic tapestries that Henry commissioned. Each one cost as much as a battleship at the time! We were the only ones in there for a few moments and the place was silent. It has a special magic when no one else is there: so much so that you actually whisper to each other, not wanting to break the spell. The Great Hall is the centrepiece of the Tudor Palace that still remains. It has a fantastic hammer-beam roof with painted eave droppers: human faces that look down on you just as a reminder that there are eyes and ears all about the Palace so be careful what you say. Today’s series of plays was all about a peace treaty between France and Henry in October of 1546. It featured some new characters: his daughter Mary, the French Ambassador and the Spanish Ambassador. The final playlet of the day involved Henry wearing his crown. This crown has been specially recreated from paintings and tapestries and is an incredible work of art. The crown was on display in the Royal Pew, part of the Chapel Royal but only for an hour. It was a privilege to view it though and I hope it will be on display for many months yet. The ornamental and privy gardens are fantastic and there was still a lot of colour to be seen. Many flowers were late blooming including wild strawberries and roses. The world famous Hampton Court maze is today only a quarter of the size it used to be but this being half-term there were lots of children running around, lost. But I know the secret of how to find your way!