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Palace of Placentia

ThePalace of Placentia,also known asGreenwich Palace,[1] was anEnglish royal residencethat was initially built by princeHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester,in 1443.[2][3]Over the centuries it took several different forms, until turned into a hospital in the 1690s. The palace was a place designed for pleasure, entertainment and an escape from the city.[4]It was located atGreenwichon the south bank of theRiver Thames,downstream fromLondon.

Palace of Placentia
The Palace of Placentia, after it was rebuilt around 1500 byHenry VII
Coordinates51°28′56″N0°0′24″W/ 51.48222°N 0.00667°W/51.48222; -0.00667
Built1443
Built forHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Rebuilt1498-1504; 1660
Palace of Placentia is located in Royal Borough of Greenwich
Palace of Placentia
Location of Palace of Placentia in Royal Borough of Greenwich

On a hill behind his palace, the duke built Duke Humphrey's Tower, later known asGreenwich Castle;the "castle" was subsequently demolished to make way for theRoyal Observatory, Greenwich,which survives. The original river-side residence was extensively rebuilt around 1500 by KingHenry VII.A detached residence, theQueen's House,was built on the estate in the early 1600s and also survives. In 1660, the old main palace was demolished byCharles IIto make way for a proposed new palace, which was only partly constructed in the east wing. Nearly forty years later, at the behest of QueenMary II,theGreenwich Hospital(now called theOld Royal Naval College) remodeled this wing, expanded, and rebuilt on the site.

History

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A sketch of Greenwich Palace, published inThe Gentleman's Magazinein 1840 (earlier published by W. Bristow in 1797)

Humphrey was regent during the minority ofHenry VI(his nephew) and started building the palace in 1433,[3]under the name Bella Court.[5]In 1447, Humphrey fell out of favour with Henry VI and was arrested forhigh treason.He died in prison, likely due to a stroke, though it was popularly believed that he was murdered[6](as is depicted inWilliam Shakespeare's plays about Henry VI).Margaret of Anjoutook over Bella Court, renaming it the Palace of Placentia, sometimes written as the 'Palace of Pleasaunce'.[5]

In 1485,Edward IVgave land and property adjacent to the palace for the foundation of a friary by theObservant Friars(a branch of theFranciscans).[7]The friars' church was used for royal baptisms and marriages, including the christenings of the future queensMary IandElizabeth I.However, the friars were persecuted during theEnglish Reformationand finally expelled by Elizabeth I in 1559.[8]

In the next centuries, the name "Greenwich Palace" was commonly used.Henry VIIrebuilt the palace between 1498 and 1504. The master mason wasRobert Vertue.The design included new plans or "platt of Greenwich which was devised by the Queen", which highlights the key contribution ofElizabeth of Yorkfor the rebuild. The King's lodgings were on the bank of the Thames, including a five-storey tower or donjon. The tower and lodgings seem to have derived from Burgundian precedents such as the (now demolished) Ducal Palace atGhentand the Princehof atBruges.[9]Greenwich remained the principal royal palace for the next two centuries.[5]

The palace was the birthplace ofHenry VIIIin 1491, and it figured largely in his life.[10]Following the King's marriage toCatherine of Aragon,Greenwich Palace was the birthplace of Mary I in 1516.[11]

After Henry VIII's marriage toAnne Boleyn,his daughter, later Elizabeth I, was born at Greenwich Palace in 1533.[12]New wooden coops were made for the peacocks and a pelican, further from the palace, as their calls disturbed Anne Boleyn in the mornings.[13]Henry VIII marriedAnne of Clevesat Greenwich in 1540. A fallen tree inGreenwich Parkis known asQueen Elizabeth's Oak,in which she is reputed to have played as a child.[14]

Both Mary and Elizabeth lived at Greenwich Palace for some years during the sixteenth century, but during the reigns ofJames IandCharles I,theQueen's Housewas erected to the south of the palace.[15]When James I ordered the redecoration of the chapel in May 1623 it had not been refurbished since the reign of Mary I.[16]The palace fell into disrepair during theEnglish Civil War,serving time as a biscuit factory and aprisoner-of-war camp.[15][17]

In 1660, Charles II decided to rebuild the palace, engagingJohn Webbas the architect for a new King's House.[18]The only section of the new building to be completed was the east range of the present King Charles Court, but this was never occupied as aroyal residence.[18]Most of the rest of the palace was demolished, and the site remained empty until construction of theGreenwich Hospitalbegan in 1694.[18]

Architecture

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The palace at Greenwich was built in theTudor style.Although the structure is no longer standing, the size and design of Greenwich Palace were said to be similar to that ofHampton Court Palacein west London, which was built around the same time asHenry VII's rebuild of Placentia.[19]

The original building was constructed primarily with brick and timber.[20]The initial palace design had state apartments, a chapel, a five-storey viewing tower, and two octagonal towers overlooking thetiltyard.[21]The chapel, which was rebuilt by Henry VIII, featured stained-glass windows and black-and-white glazed tiles.[22]The main face of the building looked out over the river Thames. It extended along 200m of the bank of the river and was accessible by boat. Piles from the original Tudor-era jetty remain today.[23]Its red-brick exterior showcased the monarchy's wealth as the material was expensive to manufacture and considered an extravagance.[24]Aside from chapel renovations,Henry VIIIalso added an armoury, stables, and a banquet hall to the original palace.[4]

During the early 17th century, as the palace was being rebuilt,Anne of Denmarkcommissioned several buildings including theQueen's House,three rooms along the garden,[4]and a grotto aviary to be built in the gardens. The aviary was designed bySalomon de Caus,a French architect and engineer. It was ornately decorated with pearls and shells and was covered in moss.[21]The only surviving building of the 17th-century additions to the palace is the Queen's House. This building, designed by architectInigo Jones,is of particular architectural and historical significance as it is often credited as being the first classical building in England, and was a clear departure from the Tudor style.[25]

Archeological work in 2017 gave new insight into the architecture of the old palace. One of the more notable findings was lead-glazed tiles. These tiles were probably used as the flooring for the service areas such as the kitchen.[19]

Modern era

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Historic marker on the site of the former palace

The Greenwich Hospital complex became theGreenwich Royal Naval Collegein 1873, when the naval college was moved fromPortsmouth.[26]The buildings are today occupied by theUniversity of Greenwichand the music faculty ofTrinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.[17][27]

Construction work for drains in late 2005 identified previously unknown Tudor remains. A full archaeological excavation completed in January 2006 found the Tudor Chapel and Vestry with its tiled floorin situ.[28]The vestry of the old palace was not demolished and later became the home of the treasurer of Greenwich Hospital.[29]

During construction of the visitors' centre for the painted hall in 2017, two more Tudor palace rooms were uncovered. One room contained bee holes for keeping hives in the winter. The other was believed to be part of the service range.[19]

References

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  1. ^William Shoberl (1840).A Summer's Day at Greenwich.H. Colburn. p. 34.
  2. ^John Bold (2000).Greenwich: An Architectural History of the Royal Hospital for Seamen and the Queen's House.Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in association with English Heritage. p. 7.ISBN978-0-300-08397-2.
  3. ^abJohn Richardson (2000).The Annals of London: A Year-by-year Record of a Thousand Years of History.University of California Press. p.64.ISBN978-0-520-22795-8.
  4. ^abc"Royal Palaces".Retrieved12 November2022.
  5. ^abcAlison Weir (September 2008).Henry VIII: King and Court.Vintage. p. 10.ISBN978-0-09-953242-2.
  6. ^Vickers, K.(1907).Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester: A Biography.London:Archibald Constable.LCCN09008417.OCLC1211527.[page needed]
  7. ^"Greenwich Greyfriars".Historic England Research Records.Heritage Gateway.Retrieved19 March2023.
  8. ^"Friaries: The observant friars of Greenwich",British History Online
  9. ^Simon Thurley,Royal Palaces of Tudor England(Yale, 1993), pp. 34–36.
  10. ^James Panton (24 February 2011).Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy.Scarecrow Press. p. 247.ISBN978-0-8108-7497-8.
  11. ^James Panton (24 February 2011).Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy.Scarecrow Press. p. 326.ISBN978-0-8108-7497-8.
  12. ^James Panton (24 February 2011).Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy.Scarecrow Press. p. 178.ISBN978-0-8108-7497-8.
  13. ^Howard Colvin,The History of the King's Works,4:2 (London: HMSO, 1982), p. 105.
  14. ^Time Out Guides Ltd (7 February 2012).1000 things to do in London for under £10.Ebury Publishing. p. 215.ISBN978-1-4090-8520-1.
  15. ^abMichelin; Michelin Travel &. Lifestyle (1 March 2012).London Green Guide Michelin 2012-2013.MICHELIN. p. 410.ISBN978-2-06-718238-7.
  16. ^Thomas Birch & Folkestone Williams,Court and Times of James the First,2 (London: Colburn, 1849), p. 400.
  17. ^abLewis Foreman; Susan Foreman (2005).London: A Musical Gazetteer.Yale University Press. p. 178.ISBN978-0-300-10402-8.
  18. ^abcTrudy Ring; Noelle Watson; Paul Schellinger (28 October 2013).Northern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places.Routledge. pp.432–434.ISBN978-1-136-63944-9.
  19. ^abc"Major archaeological finds at Greenwich uncover lost Royal palace".Old Royal Naval College.Retrieved19 November2022.
  20. ^"Heritage Gateway - Results".heritagegateway.org.uk.Retrieved18 November2022.
  21. ^abHenderson, Paula (2005).The Tudor House and Gardens.New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 169.ISBN0-300-10687-4.
  22. ^"Archaeologists reveal chapel where Henry VIII married his wives".the Guardian.25 January 2006.Retrieved18 November2022.
  23. ^"Tudor Times".Tudor Times.Retrieved18 November2022.
  24. ^"Greenwich Palace and the Tudors".rmg.co.uk.Retrieved19 November2022.
  25. ^"History of the Queen's House".rmg.co.uk.Retrieved19 November2022.
  26. ^Mike Osborne (30 November 2011).Defending London: A Military History from Conquest to Cold War.History Press Limited. p. 158.ISBN978-0-7524-7931-6.
  27. ^The Guardian (1 July 2010).The Guardian University 2011.Random House. p. 378.ISBN978-0-85265-216-9.
  28. ^Ravilious, Kate (9 February 2006)."Henry VIII's Lost Chapel Discovered Under Parking Lot".National Geographic.Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2014.Retrieved11 August2014.
  29. ^"Major Archaeological Discovery at Greenwich: Henry VII's Chapel & Vestry".Old Royal Naval College Greenwich. 24 January 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2014.Retrieved18 August2014.

Further reading

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