Hampton Court, 2021

Despite many previous London visits, it took us until 2016 to finally see the palaces and gardens at Hampton Court. We were impressed (https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/08/hampton-court.html, and https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/09/hampton-courts-gardens.html), and vowed to return. It's still a long ride up the river, or Tube, but well worth it: Hampton Court is a three-fer, three dynasties, three palaces, three gardens. Tons of history and art.

Already well inside the expanse, the entrance to the Tudor palace

We went first to a special exhibit on the 1518 Treaty of Universal Peace,
negotiated by Cardinal Wolsey (above), between England and France,
and eventually signed by 20 other nations; Wolsey built Hampton Court 
and was the king's Lord Chancellor and number one guy; until Henry (VIII)
unfriended him and took the palace for his own; despite other triumphs,
Wolsey had failed to secure the annulment of Henry's marriage to
Catherine of Aragon; it's complicated

Nearly contemporaneous painting of the locale in France where

the peace conference took place; including the "cloth of gold" tents

where Henry VIII and Francois Premier tried to out-do each other

Tudor chimneys at Hampton Court; Vicki theorizes that Gaudi
drew his inspiration from these

Holbein pose

A favorite courtyard scene

Moving right along: the place has tons of art...here, the landing

of William and Mary, Bloodless Revolution

Above the staircase in a William and Mary bit

Knife and gun show: a vast hall, the upper walls of which are covered
in muskets, pistols, lances, swords, etc.

Kneller portrait of George I

George II (George III was busy seeing his
psychiatrist: he had issues about losing colonies)

Apotheosis of Queen Anne (or possibly some other Queen)

Netherlandish influence during
William and Mary

Actual factual origin of the Princess and the Pea story; these
are Queen Charlotte's mattresses, in conservation (or some other
Queen)

Art everywhere...and I am to be credited with
recognizing this as a Joos van Cleve; confirmed
by the attendant staff

Also gardens everywhere; the flowers mostly past their prime
but still of great beauty

River Thames, the traditional entrance to Hampton Court

Formal and privy gardens

Among the gates at the river entrance

River arrival view...it's not much but it is home...

Later in our visit, other side of the expanse, other gardens,
looking back to the Tudor bits 

Henry's Great Hall

Hammerbeam ceiling; the only great hall surviving
from Henry

Among the several Abraham tapestries, 1540s; two copies...
one went to the French king, the other to Charles V...perhaps
the greatest age of kings...

At the time of Charles I's execution, they were reckoned the 
most valuable artistic properties of the Realm; completely,
unmentioned in the standard tour; Vicki registered a complaint

"Nevermind," quoth the angel