Prince Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, began constructing a palace in 1433 that would eventually birth three English monarchs, yet his own end was as tragic as the fiction Shakespeare later wove around it. He started the project under the name Bella Court, intending it as a place of pleasure and escape from the political turmoil of London, but his reign of power ended in 1447 when he was arrested for high treason and died in prison, likely from a stroke though rumors of murder persisted. Margaret of Anjou seized the property after his death, renaming it the Palace of Placentia, a name that would echo through centuries of royal history. The palace was not merely a residence but a statement of power, built on a hill behind the main structure where Humphrey also erected Duke Humphrey's Tower, later known as Greenwich Castle, which was eventually demolished to make way for the Royal Observatory. This early phase of the palace set the stage for a building that would serve as a backdrop for the most dramatic moments in English history, from royal weddings to the birth of future queens.
Henry VII's Brick and Timber
King Henry VII transformed the crumbling remnants of the palace between 1498 and 1504, creating a masterpiece of Tudor architecture that would stand as the principal royal residence for the next two centuries. The master mason Robert Vertue oversaw the construction, which included a five-storey tower or donjon and lodgings that derived from Burgundian precedents such as the Ducal Palace at Ghent. The design featured a red-brick exterior, an expensive material that showcased the monarchy's wealth, and a structure that extended along 200 meters of the River Thames bank, accessible by boat. Henry VII's wife, Elizabeth of York, contributed significantly to the design, with new plans devised by the Queen herself. The palace included state apartments, a chapel with stained-glass windows and black-and-white glazed tiles, and two octagonal towers overlooking the tiltyard. This rebuild established Greenwich as a place of grandeur, where the monarchy could host elaborate events and where the future of the Tudor dynasty would be born.The Birthplace of Queens
Greenwich Palace became the cradle of three English monarchs, beginning with Henry VIII in 1491, and continuing with Mary I in 1516 and Elizabeth I in 1533. The palace was the site of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and the christenings of Mary and Elizabeth, events that would shape the religious and political landscape of England for generations. In 1515, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon rode from the palace to have breakfast in an arbour at Shooter's Hill, where the royal guard was disguised as Robin Hood and his men, and a pageant and masque were performed. The palace was also the birthplace of Elizabeth I, and a fallen tree in Greenwich Park, known as Queen Elizabeth's Oak, is reputed to have been where she played as a child. The palace was a place of life and death, where the future of the nation was decided in the quiet moments of birth and the grandeur of royal ceremonies.