The Tudor Dynasty in London

The Tudor period from 1485 until 1603 was a dramatic period of English history. Three of the monarchs of the Tudor dynasty played important roles in transforming England from a comparatively weak European backwater into a powerful state that in the coming centuries would dominate much of the world. The period saw the end of the War of the Roses the English Reformation and the Elizabethan era also known as the Golden Age.

The first monarch of the Tudor dynasty had a great impact on London architecture in the form of 'Henry VII's Chapel,' the addition he made to the eastern end of Westminster Abbey. It is certainly a success of renaissance architecture. Henry VII planned it as a shrine-chapel for the body of his half-uncle, the extremely religious King Henry VI. But the Pope would not consecrate him and the addition became Henry VII's own burial place. His main residence was Baynard's Castle which he rebuilt in a more splendid style than its predecessor. He was the last monarch to have a permanent residence within the city walls. He also rebuilt the Palace of Sheen, when it burnt to the ground in 1498, and had it renamed as Richmond Palace. He died there in 1509.

His son, Henry VIII, was another great palatial builder. He expanded York House, the London residence of the Archbishop of York, to become the Palace of Whitehall, joining Westminster with Charing Cross. Henry also built St. James' Palace and the now lost Palace of Nonesuch. He confiscated Hampton Court from Cardinal Wolsey and added much of what we see there today. However, Henry's favourite residence was Greenwich Palace, where he had been born; it became the location of many important historical events during his reign.

In architectural terms, as well as social and economic, the Reformation was the defining point of the Tudor period in the capital. At the start of Henry VIII's reign, London was filled with splendid religious buildings, the treasures of previous centuries. During Henry VIII’s...