Photographs of Richmond Palace

Richmond Palace was a royal residence from 1327 to 1649 on The Green, Richmond, United Kingdom. The first, pre-Tudor version of the palace was known as Sheen Palace. Once one of the great medieval royal palaces, all that remains now of Richmond Palace is the old gatehouse on the south side of Richmond Green, and a trio of houses in Old Palace Yard, which date from the reign of the Tudors. Old engravings of the palace show a sprawling building of several stories, with many turrets and chimneys, standing on the banks of the Thames.



Richmond Palace started life as a manor house in the 12th century. At the time, the area was known as Shene and was a popular hunting ground. Henry I acquired the manor house in 1125, although Edward III was the first king to spend a lot of time there and he also lavished plenty of money on the place. Edward died there in June 1377, dependent on his ambitious mistress, Alice Perrers, who had persuaded the servants to wrench the rings from his fingers. Edward's grandson, Richard II, inherited the throne and, with it, Shene Palace. It was his favourite summer residence, where he and his first wife, Anne of Bohemia (1366-1394), entertained with lavish generosity. However, medieval summers always brought the plague, and the disease killed Anne in June 1394. Richard experienced such intense grief that he ordered the destruction of Shene Palace. Nevertheless, some parts of it were left standing and were used by Henry V as the basis for a major programme of restoration.



Shene was a particular favourite of Henry VII, and he had the palace rebuilt in grand style after it burnt down in 1499. It was at this point that its name was changed to Richmond, after Henry's earldom in Richmond, Yorkshire. Two of Henry VIII's children by Katherine of Aragon were born and died here, and in 1554 his daughter, Mary I, spent part of her honeymoon here after her marriage to Phillip of Spain. In March 1603, the dynasty of the Tudors ended with Elizabeth I died in Richmond Palace.



Richmond Palace passed to the Stuart kings and was therefore the inevitable casualty of the Civil War of the 1640s. Most of the palace was destroyed after the execution of Charles I in 1649, and although Charles II later had it restored for his mother, she found it too bleak. The palace gradually fell down, until more memories than stones remained.



London is an excellent city for walkers. Although it is much more spread out than most European capitals, many of the main tourist attractions are fairly close to each other. There several walk routes planned by the tourist board and local history societies too. These include footpaths along canals and the Thames, and the Silver Jubilee Walk. A about 90 minutes walk around Richmond and Kew begins in historic Richmond by the remains of Henry VII's once-splendid palace and ends at Kew. There are many cafes, pubs and tearooms in Richmond too.