Saturday May 30, 2009
Henry, in the flesh
By WAYNE JOHNSON
Love him or hate him, England’s King Henry VIII was a larger-than-life figure, and this June sees the 500th anniversary of his coming to power. Here’s a guide to the two places in London most associated with his life.
He is the most famous of England’s Kings, famed as much for his love life as for his many reforms and dramatic decisions which left a lasting legacy. Immortalised in movies, books, plays and, more recently, the hugely successful Tudors television series, Henry VIII is someone who still looms larger than life.
This year, his presence will loom larger still, as June 24, 2009 sees the 500th anniversary of him being crowned the King of England.
This event makes a perfect time to visit the sites which have become synonymous with his name, if for very different reasons. Both Hampton Court Palace in genteel west London, where he had his private residences, and the Tower of London, where he dispatched most of his enemies, are holding a number of exhibitions and attractions to celebrate his reign.
Sitting on the banks of the River Thames in Richmond, Hampton Court is more of a stately home than a palace, and it is easy to see why Henry liked to spend most of his time here. Its rolling gardens and lake are the perfect place for a King to take a stroll, especially if he is trying to woo a young lady — as he famously did with Anne Boleyn.
Nowadays, it is filled with people having picnics, feeding the ducks or else getting lost in its famous maze.
Inside, the rooms have been carefully renovated to appear as they did during Henry’s reign, with the most popular attractions unsurprisingly the King’s bedroom (although in Tudor times what went on there was far from a private affair) and the Royal Kitchens, where such tasty treats as Swan Pie and Stuffed Boar’s Head were served up.
Every day in the Great Hall, there are also recreations of courtly pursuits from the time, such as Tudor dancing and music, all of which actively encourage audience participation. So, be prepared to dust off some 16th century dance moves and impress the watching tourists.
Recreations of life in the Tudor Court occur throughout the year, but as an extra to their usual activities, Hampton Court is celebrating the coronation anniversary with a series of events on the weekend of June 20 - June 21, called Heads and Hearts.
On Saturday, June 20, the Royal Kitchens will be put to use for the arrival of the King and his Queen for a feast. Tudor delicacies will be served to the Royal party in the gardens and will be followed by music, dancing and other entertainment lasting through the evening. So, this could be your big chance to see if you can become Henry’s seventh wife. Just remember what happened to the wives he fell out of favour with.
On the following day, events will continue to transport people back to 1509, with the focus more on family entertainment, with Henry and his queen joining members of the public in boat races, tug of war and other games on the river. And the weekend’s events will draw to a close when the royal flotilla sails down river, maybe to re-emerge 500 years in the future for the 1,000th anniversary.
On Saturday, the royal boating procession will begin its trip upriver to Hampton Court from somewhere associated with the less jovial aspects of Henry’s reign — the Tower of London.
Tower of London
This 1,000-year-old fortress is still as imposing as it was in Henry’s era, and dominates its riverside location. In its time, it has been a royal palace, arsenal, fortress, zoo, dungeon and military barracks.
However, nowadays visitors can leave of their own free will. Many millions come to see the priceless Royal Jewels — which include the world’s largest and most expensive diamond. For others, the Tower gives a chance to soak up its incredible history and, in particular, investigate its sinister past.
This sinister past is evident in the Wakefield Tower, where there is a collection of some gruesome medieval torture instruments such as The Rack and the interestingly named, although excruciatingly painful, Scavenger’s Daughter.
These were actively employed by Henry to gain the confessions needed to dispose of his enemies (both real and imagined). And it was also in the inner courtyard on a patch of grass called Execution Green, where their heads were dispatched by the axe man. Two of the most famous prisoners to fall victim to the executioner’s axe/sword were two of Henry’s six wives, Anne Boleyn (his second wife) and Catherine Howard (fifth wife), both of whom were accused of adultery, although Anne also had witchcraft added to the charge-sheet.
The Tower is also getting in on the act to celebrate Henry’s coronation, with an exhibition entitled Dressed to Kill, in the White Tower. This armouries display includes some of the world’s rarest weapons and suits of armour, with some items not being displayed since the reign of Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I.
Some famous items on display include the gigantic suit of armour especially designed for Henry, which gives some impression of the large size of the man, and is particularly well-known for its rather generous cod-piece. In fact, in Victorian times, rather amorous young ladies would rub this part of the King’s suit for good luck, something which I’m sure Henry himself would have approved of.
If possible, try to time your arrival at the Tower at 10am on June 20 as this is when the Royal boat party will set sail for Hampton Court.
In an attempt to recreate the pomp of the time, actors will play the part of King Henry and Queen Catherine Parr (his sixth and last wife). Dressed in full royal regalia, they will travel in full view on the Royal Barge “Jubilant” accompanied by a flotilla of smaller traditional boats. The organisers are hoping that thousands of his modern-day subjects will line the banks of the Thames to cheer the procession as it makes its way down to Hampton Court.
London, and Hampton Court and The Tower of London, in particular, are interesting places to visit at any time of the year, but Henry’s coronation weekend is the perfect excuse to either revisit these historical treasures or else see them for the first time.
- For more information, visit www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon or www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace
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