HAMPTON COURT PALACE (Surrey. 30-40 minutes by train from Waterloo
Station, London)
Built by Cardinal Wolsey and modified by Henry VIII, this magnificent
Tudor palace is a must see for all Tudor history enthusiasts. It's the
only palace built during the Tudor period that survives today, and perhaps
reflects more than any other royal residence the splendor of the Tudor
monarchs. Queen Elizabeth I and her court spent much time here during the
early half of her reign. It was here that Elizabeth fell seriously ill
of small pox in 1562.
HATFIELD HOUSE (Hertfordshire. 20 mins by train from King's Cross Station.
The gates to the house are opposite the Railway Station) - While
most of the Old Palace was demolished in the early seventeenth century,
the Great Hall where Elizabeth held her first Council of State still survives.
The Old Palace was also were Elizabeth spent much of her childhood. Elizabeth
was reputedly sitting beneath a tree in the grounds of the house when she
received the news that she was Queen of England. The spot is marked by
a tree that was planted in memory of the occasion by Queen Elizabeth II.
On display inside the Jacobean House are Elizabeth's hat, gloves, and stockings.
Also on display are the Rainbow and Ermine Portrait, as well as portraits
of William Ceil, Lord Burghley, and his son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury,
and the horse Elizabeth reputedly rode at Tilbury during the Spanish Armada.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT
GALLERY (Central London)
- Has on display many Tudor portraits, including
portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Henry VII, Anne Boleyn, and
other significant Tudor men and women.
TOWER OF LONDON (Central London)
- Although officially a royal residence in the Tudor period, the Tower
was used primarily as a prison. Traitors were usually kept here. Anne Boleyn,
Elizabeth's mother, was executed on Tower Green in 1536, and Elizabeth
herself was kept a prisoner within the Bell Tower for several weeks during
the troubled reign of her sister. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was
also imprisoned here at the same time for involvement in his father's scheme
to make Lady Jane Grey queen.
WINDSOR CASTLE (Berkshire) - Windsor Castle has been a royal residence
for a thousand years. This was one of Elizabeth's principal residences
and she made additions to the castle in the 1580's (addtions pictured)
WESTMINSTER ABBEY (Central London) - This magnificent abbey was where
Elizabeth I was crowned in the cold January of 1559 and where she was buried
in 1603. Mary, Queen of Scots, is also buried here, as is Henry VII, founder
of the Tudor dynasty.
All images © www.elizabethi.org
