Architecture Greenwich Palace

In early England through the 16^th century, the concept of the Tudor style architecture directly represents the monarchy of England at the time which was also considered to be the Tudor period. While this building style was succeeded by the Elizabethan Architecture, today it still stands as a popular form of architecture especially in the use of home construction and directly represents the English taste in architecture around the world.

The most defining point of the Tudor architecture is that of the four-centred arch. This arch can be seen on a vast number of Tudor style buildings and even in the fake tutor styling of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. The 6 most distinctive parts of Tudor architecture is composed of the half-timber decorations, a steeply pitched roof and cross gables. Furthermore, there are tall and narrow windows which feature a small window pane as well a large chimney which is quite often decorated with ornamental chimney pots.

One of the most prominent Tudor buildings though is that of Greenwich Palace which is also known as the Palace of Placentia. This palace was the home to a number of Tudor royalties and was built in 1447 by the Duke of Gloucester. Located along the River Thames in Greenwich, the Greenwich Palace is only a little down stream from the city of London. The original palace though was demolished back in the 17^th century and was replaced by the Greenwich Hospital which later has become the Old Royal Naval College.

During Henry VI’s rule as monarch of England, Humphrey was the regent designated as the Duke of Gloucester. After its initial construction, Humphrey would name the palace Bella Court. However, he soon found himself an enemy of Margaret of Anjou, the queen at the time, and would be arrested for high treason only to die in prison. According to Shakespeare though, it was believed that Duke Humphrey was murdered by the Queen and afterwards, she would take possession of Bella Court only to rename it the Palace of Placentia. Often at times after this occurrence, the name of the palace would be spelled as the Palace of Pleasaunce but was the same place regardless of the naming.

Over the next two centuries, the palace would remain under royal control during which it was the birthplace of royalties alike. The first royal birth was that of Henry VIII in 1491. As such, the Greenwich Palace was one of his favourite haunts through the course of much of his life. Henry VIII would marry Catherine of Aragon who would give birth to another royalty, Mary Tudor, who would later become Mary I, Queen of England. Henry VIII would then later marry Anne Boleyn who would give birth to Queen Elizabeth I in the palace in 1516. Then again in 1540, Henry VIII would marry Anne of Cleves in the palace. At the nearby Greenwich Park, one can find the Queen Elizabeth's Oak which according to legend was planted by Elizabeth in her childhood.

Both of Henry VIII’s daughters, Mary as well as Elizabeth would live in the Greenwich Palace until James I and Charles I would become Monarchs during which time the nearby Queen’s House was built.

During the English Civil War, the Greenwich Palace would fall into dreadful disrepair in which it would be turned into a biscuit factory followed by a prisoner of war camp. However, when Charles II took the reigns of England, he would opt to rebuild the Palace of Placentia to its original glory. This reconstruction would never be completed even after much of the palace was demolished for the new King’s House. As a result, the land would stay unused until the 1694 construction of the Greenwich Hospital.

Later in 1873, the location which was home to the Greenwich Palace followed by the Greenwich Hospital would be assumed by the Greenwich Royal Naval College who would later move to Portsmouth. After this move, the land would be transferred to the University of Greenwich along with the Trinity College of Music. In 2005 when the universities set out to do some drain work on the campus, they discovered the Tudor remains and launched an archaeological excavation. By the completion of the dig in 2006, the University would uncover a Tudor Chapel as well as a Vestry which was tiled in situ. The Vestry was already known about as it has been serving as the home of the Greenwich Hospital’s treasurer.