About

Discover the oldest rooms at Hampton Court Palace and meet the ordinary men and women who enabled the Tudor court to exist and flourish.

The Wolsey Rooms were originally built for Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's chief minister, when he owned Hampton Court in the 1520s. Explore his world and the events of the early years of Henry VIII’s reign.

This remarkable story of an ambitious royal dynasty is told through rare and important 16th-century artworks and historic objects, as well as interactive displays. Find out about the achievements of the Tudors, and the impact of their rule in an age of great change. In the tumultuous 16th century, English people had to adapt to survive, while European exploration – and exploitation – of the wider world affected lives everywhere.