The royal palaces of Tudor England

Description

The royal palaces of the Tudor period - Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Greenwich Palace, St James' Palace, Nonesuch, Whitehall and Richmond Palace, amongst others - are the subject of this illustrated book, in which the author examines the way in which Tudor palaces functioned on the inside. Every aspect of palace life - from the deliberations of the Star Chamber to the tennis courts at Whitehall to the problems of providing sanitation for 800 people - is covered in detail, as well as the architectural history of not only the most important palaces, but also a selection of 'lesser' houses. Thurley begins with the castles and palaces of early medieval England and Burgundy, moves on through those built by Henry VII, focusing finally on the many palaces lived in and built by Henry VIII for his itinerant court. The result is both a study of the development of architectural style and form in the critical formative years of early sixteenth-century England and a work of social history which throws completely new light on the way in which Tudor government functioned and on the personality and changing habits of Henry VIII. The author is now responsible for Hampton Court Palace, Kew Palace and the Tower of London: he recently masterminded the restoration of the Tudor Kitchens and the King's Apartments at Hampton Court. Why did Henry VIII have 60 houses? How did he feed his court? Why did his later houses lack great halls and chapels? This vigorous and original book investigates the social history of the Tudor court and the life of Henry VIII through the king's own buildings, and interprets these structures through an examination of his public and private activities. Simon Thurley begins by surveying the development of royal residence building from the two-room lodgings of the Plantagenets to the Tudor mansions covering dozens of acres. Then, focusing on the reign of Henry VIII, Thurley explains how and when the king's palaces were used and explores common myths about these buildings and the kind of life that was led in them. Drawing on contemporary accounts, inventories, diplomatic notes, and new archaeological research, Thurley illuminates early Tudor etiquette, hygiene, religion, government, recreation (from tennis and bowling to cockfighting), cooking, and interior decoration. Thurley concludes that this period saw major innovations in both the structure of the court and the form of royal residences - changes that would set the pattern for royal domestic architecture for 200 years. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and plans, this intriguing book will delight readers interested in architectural and social history. -- Publisher.

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