Royal Palaces

While Eltham Palace, on the east side of London, was one of the most important royal palaces in medieval times, it had declined in importance by the Tudor era. Greenwich Palace, which was nearby and more easily accessible, was preferred. Nevertheless, the palace remained a royal residence and King Henry VIII spent much of his childhood there. As monarch he extended the palace and added a chapel.

Queen Elizabeth also retained the palace as a royal residence but rarely stayed there. By the seventeenth century the palace had fallen into disrepair and parts of it were demolished. The great hall survives and is now part of an art deco mansion built around the palace remains in the early twentieth century.