Palace of Placentia

The Palace of Placentia stands on the south bank of the River Thames in Greenwich. Built in 1443 by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, it began as Bella Court before becoming the Palace of Placentia under Margaret of Anjou. The palace was a royal retreat for pleasure and entertainment, rebuilt by Henry VII in the late 15th century. Its riverside location allowed access by boat, with a jetty whose Tudor piles remain today. The red-brick exterior showed the monarchy’s wealth, a costly material at the time. The palace played a key role in royal history. Henry VIII was born there in 1491, and his daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I also came into the world there. Henry VIII held grand tournaments and pageants, including a New Year’s spectacle in 1512 with a stage-set castle. The palace hosted royal weddings, such as Henry’s marriage to Anne of Cleves in 1540. Anne of Denmark later commissioned the Queen’s House nearby, designed by Inigo Jones as England’s first classical building. Today, the site is part of the Old Royal Naval College. Archaeologists have uncovered Tudor remains, including the palace chapel and service rooms with bee holes for winter hives. The Queen’s House survives as a landmark of 17th-century architecture. The grounds also hold the Royal Observatory, built where Humphrey’s tower once stood. Visitors walk where kings and queens once lived and celebrated.