Hampton Court Palace is one of the most famous buildings in Britain. Although most often identified with Henry VIII, the palace was in fact at the centre of court and political life for nearly two hundred years. Built to house monarchs, their courtiers and an army of servants, and designed to impress powerful visitors, this vast complex of buildings contains over a thousand rooms and is set within many acres of gardens and parkland. The original Tudor palace was begun by the powerful Cardinal Wolsey, but soon attracted the attention of Henry VIII. From this period dates the West Front - one of the most immediately recognizable facades in England - with its swaggering display of early Tudor brickwork. By contrast, the East and South fronts, designed by Wren and his assistants for William III and Mary II, and overlooking extensive formal gardens, are among the grandest and most potent examples of the English Baroque. Despite these extensive embellishments by some of the...