Just a few miles outside of London is what is reputed to be Henry VIII’s favorite palace: Hampton Court. He would take a barge down the Thames from London. The palace originally belonged to Cardinal Woolsey, Henry’s Lord Chamberlain. When Woolsey failed to obtain Henry’s divorce from his first queen, Katherine of Aragon, he fell from favor, and Henry took Hampton Court for himself. It was also popular with monarchs after that, including William and Mary.
We toured the kitchens and several monarch’s state rooms along with the gardens. 
The rooms were furnished with period pieces and beautiful paintings and tapestries. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in any of the apartments. The palace tour included an excellent introduction to the English monarchy. The palace has impressive gardens and a maze. Like almost every major attraction, there was a cafeteria as well. We spent several hours wandering around and then had a late lunch.
You can view some additional photos here.
