On a recent trip to London, I was privileged to join a small group of people who took an archaeological tour through Hampton Court. The tour guide, knowledgeable and friendly, was in charge of protecting and storing artifacts connected with the palace.
He took us through abandoned rooms, royal apartments, and even into an upstairs storage room. Here, he unveiled treasures from the past and allowed us to photograph the items.
He unwrapped a lovely (and rare) terracotta likeness of a queen, and we all snapped pictures. I’m awaiting confirmation as I write this blog, but if memory serves, the carved likeness is of Elizabeth I.
Another rare treasure was a section of the lower part of Henry VIII’s bed, gilded and heavily ornamented. As I snapped the image you see here, I could not help but think of the lovely young girls who may have lain beside him in this bed, later to find themselves in the Tower, awaiting their execution.
Have you ever been to London? If not, what would you like to see there? If so, what was your favorite part of the city?
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8 comments:
I've never been to England, but I always eat up any information and pictures I can find. These are lovely!
When I get my first real advance, I'm going to spend it on a trip to England to see London, Bath, the Lake district and castle country. Some day soon, I hope.
I'm with you, though, in wondering about the lives of the young women in his life and how bewildering it must have been to go from favored loved on to criminal awaiting death.
Hi Donna: Great way to spend your advance, I'd say. This was my first trip to the U.K. and a week wasn't enough, but I did see some marvels and some of the historic places. Yes, Henry's bed stayed in my mind. I don't write about the Tudor's but they were a fascinating bunch weren't they? Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Joyce,
Interesting blog. Yes, I have been to London three times, all the way from Australia, but I have a son working in London. Love the place. The history just jumps up and grabs you by the throat, now matter where you go.
Regards
Margaret
mI loved London, but not as much as England away from the city. I suppose that in London my favorite part was Buckingham palace. I also loved all the little private parks for the regal old homes. Actually, I'd very much like to go again. I could be packed and ready in about thirty minutes. LOL
How fascinating!! I was able to go to London more than 35 years ago. We so loved all the historical sites - Buckingham Palace, the Crown Jewels, Changing of the Guards, Picadilly Circus, dinner in an old castle - I wish I could remember all the names and places but we took as many tours as we could. The only thing we didn't care for was the food lol.
Hi MArgaret: Thanks for stopping by. Wow, three times to London. I sure hope to go back. Way more to see there than what you can do in ten days.
Joyce Elson Moore
The Tapestry Shop
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Hi Caroline: I'd only need ten minutes to get ready and out the door. There were some medieval sites outside of London I so wanted to visit, but alas, we ran out of time.
Hi Catslady: I have to agree with you about the food. Of course, they may not like ours any better. We found a great Italian place near Trafalgar Square and kept going back there, although there was a Cafe in the Crypt we liked, I think it was at St. Martin in the Field. Awesome. Thanks for stopping by historical hussies.
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