Hampton Court is a royal palace on the bank of the River Thames in southwest London, opposite Kingston upon Thames. The grounds and the state apartments are open to visitors. Hampton Court was begun by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1515 and given by him to King Henry VIII in 1526. Wolsey’s part of the palace includes the Tudor gatehouse, the great hall, and the chapel. The Tennis Court, still used for the game of royal tennis, was built by Henry VIII. William III and Mary II planned to rebuild the palace and employed Sir Christopher Wren to do this. Wren rebuilt only the east part, a vast suite of state apartments surrounding a courtyard called Fountain Court. The beautifully laid-out gardens include a maze.
