Richmond Palace

About Richmond Palace

Former royal residence in London, England, UK

Richmond Palace was a Tudor royal residence on the River Thames at Richmond that stood in the 16th and 17th centuries, in what was then rural Surrey, upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminster nine miles (14 km) to the north-east. It was erected in about 1501 by Henry VII, formerly Earl of Richmond, in whose honour the manor of Sheen had been renamed Richmond in 1500, and it replaced Sheen Palace, itself built on the site of a manor house appropriated by Edward I in 1299 and used by his next three direct descendants before falling into disrepair. Both names, Sheen and Richmond, remain in use in the area. The palace was a favourite home of Elizabeth I, who died there in 1603; Henry VII also died here, and it witnessed the festivities of the Tudor court and early performances of Shakespeare before the queen. After the execution of Charles I in 1649 Parliament sold it and most of it was demolished, so that today only the Gate House, with Henry VII's arms above its entrance, and the Wardrobe building, now converted into flats, survive, together with street names such as Old Palace Yard and Old Palace Lane and a famous drawing of the palace from 1562. The remains adjoin Richmond Green, the historic open green that was once a royal jousting ground and is still a cricket pitch, surrounded by elegant Georgian houses, one of the quietest and prettiest corners of Richmond.

Where:

London, United Kingdom