I think to live there at the time would be awesome, because who wouldn’t love to live in a palace, but it felt cold and lonely to me. I just wonder how much liberty even the monarchs had at the time to decorate and make these spaces their own. If I had my own apartment to live there, mine would be covered in art, plants, books, and curiosities from travel. I feel like I wouldn’t let mine be as empty as the place felt. My room would have to one with windows and a fireplace. Hopefully it would look out over the Privy Gardens.
Belinda and I really embraced this prompt in the Privy Gardens of Hampton Court. We jokingly pretended to belong to the time period of Bridgeton as we asked questions about prospects and suitors. The beautiful lawns dotted with spots of white stone carved into Grecian figures. The gravel gave satisfying crunches with every trod of our journey. There was a long tunnel covered in ivy and the stretching limbs of trees. Giant hedges obscured smaller gardens that were hidden away with ponds speckled with lily pads. Wild flowers grew around small white paths with the brightest hues of vermillion, chartreuse, cobalt, and amber I have ever seen. We lay in the soft lawns of these hidden gardens under trees as the wind coaxed wandering minds away. As much as I believe and know these outdoor spaces were created as mere displays of power, wealth, and decor, I couldn’t help but imagine what a necessity it would be to escape. Being a wife or a lover of Henry VIII or any kind of tyrant would require some seriously beautiful and intimate places to exist.
The kitchens were massive and extremely impressive. So many stoves and ovens and fireplaces, I can’t even imagine how hot it would be as I’m slaving away over an eight course meal, Henry the VIII’s snack. I loved the white stone and raw wooden beams of the kitchen. Natural light flooded the space from windows up above, hopefully they opened for ventilation.
I could see differences of architecture between the apartments of Henry VIII and William III. I felt as though William’s was more severe and brooding. It faced the giant lawns of the front of palace that could be seen through huge windows. Everything seemed to be furnished with dark red velvet. Even merely entering his apartments, encircling a massive white marble staircase there was a mural that stretched around the circumference of the room and bled onto the ceiling showing Greek and Roman gods. Exiting, there marble statues. Henry VIII had much more suspicious quarters. His were far more boastful with the entrance being the Great Hall. He had more purposeful rooms that were very interesting to look at, for example he had a room for his council meetings. There were a few displays for each of his wives, that were fun to read and look at. Honestly, I pity this man in his infamy. Imagine being a well known monarch in history, for your troublesome marriages. When he finally was happy and settled in his third with Jane Seymour, she died and he didn’t send an order of execution this time.
The chapel ceiling was the most beautiful I have seen yet. Its signature dark phthalo turquoise made the intricate mandalas of gold and stars pop off the ceiling. It was magnificent.
The chocolate rooms were fun to see. I can’t believe they had designated rooms for a royal chocolatier to craft this delicacy of the time. What a job to have.
I loved just how massive the wine cellar was too. Barrels lining the walls that I could easily fit in. There’s no way the monarchs weren’t alcoholics. If I lived or worked there, I would have to have some serious discipline with a collection like that.
Theatre in London U of A 