The Tudor World in the Wolsey Rooms

Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon and Thomas Wolsey

See portraits of the three people who defined early Tudor history. In 1509, Henry’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon – the daughter of one of Europe’s most powerful families – united England with Spain.

Along with Thomas Wolsey, Henry’s Lord Chancellor, they planned to place England at the heart of European politics through victories won on the battlefield, and the creation of a new Tudor dynasty.

Portraits of power

Other important paintings on display in The Tudor World are portraits of powerful 16th-century rulers – rivals of the Tudor dynasty. Within Europe, France and Spain battled for supremacy, while the Ottoman Empire expanded west from Asia.

Hürrem, also called 'La Rossa' (because of her red hair), was an enslaved European woman sold to Suleiman, the Ottoman Sultan. She defied the odds and not only gained her freedom, but became the official wife of Suleiman, and an influential force in Ottoman politics when the Empire was at the height of its power.

Stoning the Pope

In England, Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church to secure a new marriage with Anne Boleyn. Henry set himself up as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, and granted himself a divorce from Katherine.

On display in The Tudor World is a painting that Henry himself commissioned, showing the Four Evangelists, authors of the Christian New Testament, crushing the ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘avarice’ of the Pope.

Tudor treasures – great and small

The Tudor World showcases a rotating display of objects from Historic Royal Palaces’ collections, relating to the lives of the ordinary men and women who kept Hampton Court Palace going during the Tudor age.

There is also the chance to see some rare and wonderful treasures from other collections, telling a wider story of the impact of Henry VIII and his heirs on Tudor England. Henry's reforms had an enormous influence on the lives of ordinary people across England. For a century, religious divisions caused social uncertainty and persecution. Some were able to adapt or even to take advantage of conflict and change. Others suffered or died for their faith and beliefs.

The impact of globalisation

The Tudor World also explores the wider context of the 16th century. This was an age of discovery, of new cultural encounters and shared knowledge in science, art and fashion. Europeans left their homes in search of trade and treasure, but voyages of curiosity and exploration easily led to conflict and exploitation.

Rich Europeans could enjoy exotic foods and wear luxury fabrics from around the globe, but their fine clothes and jewellery were made from natural resources often plundered from Africa and the Americas.

Accessing the Tudor World displays

Ground floor

The Tudor World includes an accessible, step-free ground floor display including hands-on interactives, replica Tudor artefacts, and digital projections unlocking the secrets of Tudor history paintings, as well as further historic objects from Historic Royal Palaces’ own collections. Some of these displays include sound effects, smell interactives and interpretative films.

First floor

Whilst we strive to make Hampton Court accessible to all visitors, due to the constraints of the palace, there is limited access to the first floor via a spiral staircase. Lift access is available up four steep steps.