HAMPTON COURT PALACE

HAMPTON COURT PALACE by Matthew Sturgis
Channel 4 Books (Macmillan UK) - April 2001
ISBN 0752219448 - Paperback

Reviewed by Rachel Hyde, MyShelf.com
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Hampton Court is one of Britain's greatest palaces and its very name conjures up images of Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and Anne Boleyn. Tourists flock there in their thousands every year to wonder at the Tudor architecture, traverse the vast kitchens and get lost in the maze.

This book accompanies a Channel 4 programme (to be shown in Britain) but even for those who do live elsewhere can get a fine profile of the palace with this book. It is handsomely and profusely illustrated with large color photographs and charts the building's history from Saxon times when a manor house existed on the site, through Cardinal Wolsey's majestic building, Henry VIII's redecoration of the palace for his new wife Anne Boleyn to William and Mary's commissioning of Sir Christopher Wren to create something in England to rival Versailles. The history is informative without being too exhaustive and the pictures of many of the people who have played their part help to bring the story to life.

But this is not just a story of the past; Hampton Court is a hive of industry beyond that of tourism, mirroring many of the activities it has been used for in the past. It has been the home of both the Royal School of Needlework and the Embroiderers' Guild due to its associations with two famous embroiderers Anne Boleyn and Mary II, and that sport of kings "Real Tennis" sees modern players participating if they are members of the Royal
Tennis Court. Of course such a vast place needs constant upkeep and an army of restorers keep the house and grounds in excellent condition and many chapters are devoted to how they do this. Read this book and you will want to go there - even if, like this reviewer, you have already been! A handsome addition to any coffee table.