William III's apartments

The Guard Chamber

First in this series of majestic, high-ceilinged rooms is the Guard Chamber. A remarkable collection of weapons adorns the walls, showcasing William’s military reputation and making a formidable first impression.

Yeomen of the Guard would have been stationed at the door, checking courtiers were suitably dressed and well-behaved before allowing them into the Presence Chamber.

The Presence Chamber

The next room is the official throne room, with the chair of estate under its formal canopy. Only the monarch was allowed to sit here. Visitors still had to bow to the throne as they passed, even if it was empty.

The Eating Room

This large room was intended for public dining, an opportunity for the crowd to see the King and how he entertained his invited guests. However, William III cared little for such public display.

Tables and chairs were brought in specially for the occasion: otherwise, the only clues to the room's function are the ears of wheat on the carving by Grinling Gibbons, and the picture of William's ancestor, King Christian IV of Denmark, whose banquets got out of hand.

The Privy Chamber

Next comes the Privy Chamber, where only statesmen and courtiers close to the King are allowed entry. Enjoy spectacular views of the Privy Garden from the windows, just as King William would have seen.

Don't miss the ornate wood-carvings throughout William's apartments. These incredibly delicate, virtuoso carvings are the work of Grinling Gibbons, a master-craftsman of the seventeenth century.

The Great Bedchamber and Little Bedchamber

William rarely slept in the spectacular Great Bedchamber. Instead, the room was supposed to be used for shaving and dressing the King in public. On the ceiling is a painting by Antonio Verrio depicting the youth Endymion resting in the arms of Morpheus, God of Sleep.

Next door, the Little Bedchamber has another painted ceiling by Verrio with a bed-time theme; Mars, the God of War, lies sleeping in the arms of Venus, Goddess of Love. This is a smaller and more intimate space - only the King's most personal staff and close courtiers came in here.

Open during half term and holidays.

Downstairs the rooms are on a more human scale – this is where William III really lived, displaying his prized possessions and entertaining his favourite people.

Among these prized possessions were paintings hung on ropes. A clever device which allowed the King to re-hang them whenever the fancy took him. They’re all pictures he particularly liked and give us a good idea of his taste.

In the summer months, the doors would open on to his Privy Garden to enjoy the sight and scents of the orange and bay trees, usually stored in the Orangery over winter. 

The King’s private drawing room offered William a retreat from entertaining guests. It is furnished as a study, with his own bookcases and barometer.

His private dining room is laid out as it would have been in 1700, towards the end of his life, when he sat surrounded by the famous Hampton Court Beauties paintings. After dinner had been served the shutter would be dropped, leaving the King and his companions in complete privacy.