Power and Politics of Architecture in Tudor England Main Menu

The Great Hall

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As a result of this move away from the communal nature of court, the significance of the great hall began to decline in terms of functionality, but Henry VIII still built a few extravagant great halls during his time as King of England:

The Great Hall at Hampton Court must have been the most splendid part of the palace. But although Henry VIII built it he never used it; he dined elsewhere and it served as the most glorious of works canteens… A Great Hall had always had a central place in the mystique of kingship. The preservation of what had become a redundant aspect of princely living was something which stemmed from a growing perception of precedent and history.[1]

Henry VIII still built a magnificent great hall when he acquired Hampton Court, but this was not so that he could use it and dine in a room crafted beautifully: he had his own private dining room. Much like anything else Henry VIII included in his palaces it was as an illustration of power. This magnificent hall was used to convey the power and wealth of the monarchy; everyone who visited the palace would spend time in this room and therefore they had to be impressed by it.

[1] Howarth, Images of Rule: Art and Politics in the English Renaissance, 1485-1649, 14