Unearthed, lost Tudor palace where Henry VIII was born
IT IS the lost royal palace where Henry VIII was born, jousted and threw uproarious parties.
Greenwich Palace – once one of the architectural wonders of England – has long since been demolished.
But now archaeologists have found two rooms which formed part of the vast building on the banks of the Thames that was at the heart of Tudor cultural life and intrigue.
Henry was born there in 1491 and it was his favourite residence during the first half of his reign. His daughters Mary and Elizabeth were also born at the palace whose magnificence rivalled that of Hampton Court Palace, boasting lavish state apartments, a chapel, elegant gardens, a jousting yard and a five-storey viewing tower.
Nothing survives above ground after Greenwich Palace fell into disrepair during the English civil war in the 17th century and was demolished.
The Old Royal Naval College was later built on the site and the two lost rooms – including a floor of lead-glazed tiles – were discovered underneath it during recent building work. They are likely to be where food was prepared for the court and where Henry’s laundry was taken.
One room was clearly subterranean and has a series of niches which archaeologists believe may be ‘bee boles’ for storing hives during winter when bees hibernate. In the summer the niches were probably used to keep food and drink cool.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: ‘To find a trace of Greenwich Palace, arguably the most important of all the Tudor palaces, is hugely exciting.’