The British Versailles: Exploring Hampton Court Palace

2015 is the 500 year anniversary of Hampton Court Palace. It was built to be the finest palace in England, only 11 miles Southwest outside of London on the Thames River. It's been on my list of places I want to see, so today Aaron and I took advantage of a chilly but sunny day, and headed out to explore it.

Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, was the original owner of Hampton Court. He only lived there for 15 years before passing it onto King Henry VIII. You probably know Henry VIII for his many, many wives and possibly for his influence on the destruction of the church of England during his reign. When Henry VIII gained control of Hampton Court, he wanted to make it into something that could rival Versailles, basically meaning he made everything in the palace and outside look rich, lavish and impressive.

We toured King Henry VIII's State Apartments, Chapel Royal, the kitchens and Great Hall and even saw his gold jeweled crown. William III and Mary II who reigned in the late 1600s also built on an extension to the palace so we toured through their private state apartments as well. Along the tours, we learned about Henry VIII and his wives, and William III and Mary II. We even caught a "reenactment" with a few actors along the way.

The grounds itself are incredibly beautiful and massive. On the property is the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze. We couldn't not go through it while we there and luckily the walls were taller than Aaron : ) The goal is to find the center of the maze which then leads to the exit. It wasn't as easy as we thought it would be, but we did make it out!

It was a beautiful place to explore and a palace that was certainly fit for a king and his many wives : )