Courtesy Newsteam/HRP
Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London have teamed up for a year-long celebration to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne.
‘Heads and Hearts’ will take place around Hampton Court Palace, which has been transformed for the celebrations and the Tower of London will be hosting a spectacular exhibition, ‘Henry VIII Dressed to Kill.’
King Henry VIII’s most famous royal residence, Hampton Court Palace, has been transformed in preparation for the anniversary year. There are brand new displays, presentations and interpretations to give visitors a taste of what the palace would have been like under Henry’s rule.
Costumed interpreters will be on hand to transport visitors back 500 years and restore the atmosphere of court life in the great Tudor palace and everyday visitors will be invited to join the celebrations for Henry VIII’s wedding to his sixth wife Kateryn Parr.
The wedding took place in 1543, in the Chapel Royal, and visitors will have the chance to meet the King, Queen and members of the court and take part in 16th century games and feasting. The most ardent Tudor groupies will be able to dress in traditional Tudor costume.
The royal couple will be leading the walks around the palace or you can choose your own adventure by becoming one of the servants working in the royal household or one of the King’s courtiers.
Courtesy Newsteam/HRP
The team at Hampton Court has worked tirelessly to prepare the palace for the celebrations. Guests start exploring the palace when they are received into the base court, which will be a bustling hub of activity and drama.
New furnishings and historic exhibits have been brought into the palace to recreate the lavishly furnished interiors enjoyed by Henry and his courtiers. Experts have consulted Tudor tapestries to ensure every detail is just right.
For the first time, the public will be granted access to King Henry’s Council Chamber where he made many world-changing decisions. The chamber has been decorated with iconic images of Henry, his wives and members of the court, including several works by the King's painter Hans Holbein The Younger.
A number of exhibitions and events will be taking place in and around the palace including ‘Henry’s Tapestries Revealed,’ the ‘Kyngs Beestes,’ ‘Young Henry’ and ‘The Tudor Kitchens.’
On Saturday June 20 2009, the celebrations move out onto the Thames as King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon depart from the Tower of London, accompanied by a flotilla of traditional oared craft, to arrive at Hampton court for 3pm for feasting fun and games.
Tudor-inspired river activities will take place at Hampton Court on the Sunday including boat races and a tug-of-war.
© The Board of Trustees of the Armouries.
The Tower of London will be playing host to ‘Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill,’ from April 3 to January 17, 2010.
For the first time since the reign of Elizabeth I, the largest number of original weapons, armour and pieces of military equipment associated with Henry VIII will go on display over three floors of the iconic white tower.
The exhibition explores the many roles of Henry as a sportsman, king, warrior and icon and features loans from international collections as well as treasures from the Royal Armouries collection.
Highlights of the exhibition include the beautifully decorated ‘Silvered and Engraved’ armour from 1515, the Wilton anime armour of about 1544 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the extraordinary ‘Horned Helmet’ presented to Henry VIII by the Emperor Maximilian I.
© The Board of Trustees of the Armouries.
The exhibition will offer a clear picture of the king who spent a fortune setting up a workshop in Greenwich to make him exclusive armours.
One piece of armour designed to fit the king’s body exactly was made up of many overlapping and moving parts and gives a wonderful impression of the physique of an athletic young king.
‘Dressed to Kill’ also promises to offer unprecedented access to some of the king’s own personal weapons including the only two surviving sporting guns from the period and examples of experimental firearms such as the gun shields he purchased to arm some of his troops.
Go to www.hrp.org.uk for more information.
