Experience the public dramas and private lives of Henry VIII, his wives and children in the world of the Tudor court. Admire Henry’s Great Hall and Tudor kitchens. Discover the spectacular baroque palace built for William III and Mary II and explore Hampton Court Palace’s outdoor spaces and 60 acres of magnificent gardens. The Great Hall sits at the very heart of the Tudor palace at Hampton Court, towering over the surrounding buildings. It was designed to impress and to proclaim Henry VIII’s power and magnificence.

Even today the size and grandeur of the Great Hall will take your breath away. Henry VIII's Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace were the largest of Tudor England. 200 cooks, sergeants, grooms and pages worked to produce over 800 meals a day for the hungry household of Henry VIII.

Feeding the court was a complex business all done without modern conveniences as 1.3 million logs burned in the hellish fires every year. From boiling cauldrons to roasting spits, join the day-to-day grind of Henry’s cooks as you pass through this labyrinth of kitchen spaces. Walk Henry VIII’s route from his private apartments to the Chapel — now lined with portraits of Tudor monarchs — and see the infamous Haunted Gallery in the State Apartments at Hampton Court Palace.

EXPERIENCE THE HAUNTED GALLERY
In 1541, Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, discovered that she was to be charged with adultery — a charge for which her predecessor, Anne Boleyn, had been executed.

Legend has it that the terrified young queen broke free from her guards and ran along what is now called the Haunted Gallery in the hope of finding Henry in the Chapel, to plead her innocence.

Just before Catherine reached the door, she was seized by guards who took her screaming back to her rooms.

Catherine was executed at the Tower of London three months later; her body still lies in the Chapel Royal of St Peter Ad Vincula, within the Tower walls.

Catherine’s ghost can, allegedly, be seen running through the Haunted Gallery at Hampton Court Palace, screaming for mercy.

THE PROCESSIONAL ROUTE AND TUDOR PORTRAITS
The King's 'Coming Forth' from his private apartments to the Chapel, on Sundays and special holy days, became the principal occasion when Henry VIII made himself visible to his wider court.

Today, the route is lined with portraits of Henry and his family, including his father Henry VII, his mother Elizabeth of York and his children.