Situated beside the River Thames south-west of London, Hampton Court Palace was a centre of court life in England from 1529 to 1737 and remains one of the finest palaces in Europe. The Official Illustrated History celebrates this intriguing architectural ensemble, including the palace's original sixteenth-century building of Henry VIII's reign. It features full coverage of the famous formal gardens and also reveals the lifestyles of monarchs, mistresses and courtiers. Includes full coverage of Hampton Court's famous and everpopular formal gardens, a precious survival of gardening 300 years ago In the same series as Merrell's highly popular official illustrated histories of the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace