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Audio Described Tour of the Tudor World

About the Tour

This self-led audio described tour takes you around the first floor of the Tudor World exhibition, which takes place in some of the oldest rooms at Hampton Court Palace: the Wolsey rooms. Listen to this tour on your own device, either at home or during your visit to the palace.

A narrator guides you through the tour. First, they visually describe each painting; then, you will hear interviews providing more information. At the end of each track, the narrator will give directions to the next stop.

There is the option to speed up the audio and to download each track. A full transcript of the tour can be found at the bottom of the page.

The tour begins in Base Court, the first courtyard after the entrance.

Listen to the tour

The Tudor buildings of Base Court at Hampton Court Palace, facing towards Clock Court, under a blue, partially cloudy sky with sunbeams stretched across the image. Anne Boleyn's Archway is also pictured.

Stop 1: Introduction

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Clock Court, looking South towards the white Colonnade.

Stop 2: Clock Court & The Wolsey Rooms

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The first Wolsey room features dark wood paneling and a ceiling adorned with a gold pattern. On the left side of the room, there is a large painting of a woman, and another painting is located at the far end. Along the right wall, various artifacts are displayed.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 3: Portrait of an Unknown Woman

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The painting depicts a battle scene with soldiers on horseback fighting in the foreground. Henry VIII is in the center. In the middle ground, there is a military camp with striped tents, and behind it, a walled town with a moat and a ruined abbey. Rolling hills and additional camps are in the background.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 4: Battle of the Spurs

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A portrait of Henry VIII shows him in a half-length view, slightly turned to the right. Dressed in an elaborate Tudor costume, his white shirt is visible through the slashed, jewelled brocade tunic. He holds a thin, scrolled paper between his hands on a parapet.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 5: Henry VIII

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This painting is a portrait of Anne Boleyn, showing her head and shoulders turned slightly to the left. She wears a gold chain and a string of pearls with a gold 'B' pendant and three hanging pearls. Her headdress is also decorated with pearls.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 6: Anne Boleyn

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Tapestry depicts Neptune raising the storm that scattered Aeneas's ships at Juno's command. A red informational panel is on the left.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 7: Neptune Calms the Storm

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The painting, ‘A Protestant Allegory’ aka Stoning the Pope, shows four men stoning a person (the Pope) on the ground, with a dark mountainous background.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 8: A Protestant Allegory

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The painting "The Embarkation of Henry VIII at Dover" shows a fleet sailing from Dover, with a castle in the upper left. Two gun towers in the foreground fire salutes, while the walkway is crowded with people. Troops are getting into rowboats.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 9: The Embarkation at Dover

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A colourful painting called 'The Field of the Cloth of Gold' features a lively procession and a bustling landscape - a red information panel on the left.

© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.

Stop 10: The Field of Cloth of Gold

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A person is looking at three paintings hanging on a dark wall.

Stop 11: Farewell

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Transcript

Download a transcript of the full tour

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