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Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a the first iconic place of interest on the Pedal Olympic tour. It was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII. When Wolsey fell from favour in 1529 it was the King who took on the magnificent palace and enlarged it considerably into the magnficent palace we see today on the side of the River Thames.
Besides his six marriages (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived), Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry was an attractive and charismatic man in his prime, educated and accomplished. He ruled with absolute power. His desire to provide England with a male heir—which stemmed partly from personal vanity and partly because he believed a daughter would be unable to consolidate the Tudor Dynasty and the fragile peace that existed following the Wars of the Roses—led to the two things that Henry is remembered for today: his wives, and the English Reformation that made England a Protestant nation. In later life he became morbidly obese and his health suffered; his public image is frequently depicted as one of a lustful, egotistical, harsh and insecure king.[3]
Henry, along with other monarchs significantly enlarged Hampton Court Palace from the 16th century onwards. Throughout the 20th century the palace has become a major London tourist attraction and inspite of a major fire in 1986 remains one of England's greatest palaces.
