Bedchambers are always amazing. Here the Queen’s state bedchamber has a bed of red damask surrounded on the walls by tapestries from "The Acts of Apostles" series, these tapestries also continue in other rooms throughout the palace. The ceiling vaults are magnificent as always. Queen’s gallery connects this part of the building with Georgian apartments. The gallery has yet more tapestries showing the scenes from life of Alexander the Great, and Chinese vases along the walls date back from the 17th century.

Continued in Part IV

We took the 1:30pm guided tour of the Henry VIII State Apartments; this allowed us time to tour the Wolsey Rooms and the Renaissance Picture Gallery on our own before it started. The Wolsey Rooms are two rooms paneled with 16th-century linen-fold wood; it gives you a small glimpse into what the palace was like during the Cardinal’s time. Interesting, but the picture gallery is the real gem. It contains a large part of the 16th- and 17th-century paintings collected by the Tudor and Stuart monarchs. All the major artists are here: Lorenzo Lotto, Holbein, Joos van Cleve, Bassano, Titian, Cranach, Brueghel, Raphael, and dare I say more. Beware of the difficult wooden circular stairs as you exit the gallery.

We met our guide, Jane, by the white pillars in the Clock Court. She gave us a brief rundown of the types of things that would have been going on at Hampton Court in October and November in Tudor times. We then crossed the courtyard and entered the Great Hall. The tapestries in this room cost £2,000 when they were purchased; to put this in perspective, the average man earned £3 or £4 in a year. We learned that at the court, the food and clothing for everyone was controlled by law; only the king could wear purple, and to wear gold embroidery, you had to be an earl or above. At a typical meal, a duke would have a choice of eight dishes, and what he doesn’t choose gets passed down the chain of nobility to the barons, who got the leftovers. During Henry’s time, there were only two dukes and 52 lords. The tour went through several rooms and ended up outside the Chapel Royal.

We toured the King's Apartments at 2:30pm with Alison, and though it wasn’t as interesting as our first tour, it gave us some real insight into the court of William and Mary. One fact I found interesting was that Queen Mary had a standing order for seven new pairs of shoes a month--they were made of silk and didn’t have a very long life.

We walked through the Queen's Apartments and the Georgian Rooms after we finished this tour.

There are four stores at Hampton Court. We visited two. Be warned that they close at 4:15pm, 15 minutes before the palace closes. We spent 4 hours here and never got to visit the Gardens, Royal Tennis Courts, Orangery, or the Maze.

When you arrive at the Hampton Court Station, you will need to cross the bridge to get to the palace. After entering the gate, you are directed to the building on your left, which holds a gift shop and the ticket office. Entrance is a bit steep (£11), but if you are going to visit the Tower of London, you can buy a combination ticket and save a little that way.

Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court, and one might say it led to his downfall. It was larger and more elaborate than any palace that Henry VIII had. It was not a good idea to show up a volatile king, but it was the fact that he made Anne Boleyn his enemy that really was his worst move. When he was unable to obtain a divorce for the king, he signed his own death warrant. He then had the good sense to die before the king could execute him. Problem solved. Henry broke from the Catholic church, granted himself a divorce, married Anne, and the rest is history. Anne enjoyed her time at Hampton Court; it was a sweet but all too short victory. Anne wasn’t the only one of Henry’s wives whose history is entwined with Hampton Court; her cousin Catherine Howard went from here to the Tower of London and her death (some say she has never really left Hampton Court). The last of the six wives, Katherine Parr, was married to Henry in the small Queen’s Chapel. Henry’s only son, Edward, was baptized in the Chapel Royal, and his mother, Jane Seymour, died here.

There are many different options for touring at Hampton Court.

1. Audioguide
Tudor Kitchens
Henry VIII State Apartments
The King’s Apartments
The Georgian Rooms

You pick up your guide at the information center in the Clock Court. The kitchens in particular are not to be missed.

2. Costumed Guided tours
Henry VIII State Apartments
The King’s Apartments (William III)

3. Self-Guided
We have taken the audio tours before, and this time chose to take the guided tours and then visit the Georgian Rooms, Queen's Apartments, the Wolsey Rooms, and Renaissance Picture Gallery on our own. We didn’t have time to visit the Privy Garden or the Maze, and only Joe got to the Orangery. Actually, we all separated and went our own way since we each have different interests.

If you visit on the weekend, there are other tours and presentations offered.

This and the Tower of London were my favorite attractions in London. There are two guided tours that are included in the price of admission. These are excellent and add a personal perspective from the knowledgable tour guide. For example, did you know that the King is entitled to 9 differnet meats with Dinner, but only 7 at lunch and breakfast? The audio guide, also included, is also excellent and gives a narration on the remaining areas.

Being outside of London, it takes some effort to get there but is well worth the effort. You can take the train from Waterloo station. You can also take the tube to Richmond (the District line) and then take the R68 bus to Hampton Court. I recommend arriving early and you will definitely want to stay the entire day. If you take the tube, spend the evening in quaint Richmond. There is an abundance of shopping, dining and entertainment. On a nice day you can take a stroll along the river.

Admission is 10.50 GBP. You can also buy a combined Tower of London / Hampton Court ticket, which I recommend as the Tower is my other favorite.