GREENWICH PALACE, one of the English royal palaces, was situated in Greenwich, a south-eastern metropolitan borough of London, England, bounded N. by the river Thames, E. by Woolwich, S. by Lewisham and W. by Deptford. Area, 3851.7 acres. Greenwich has a river-frontage of 4.1 mi., the Thames making two deep bends, enclosing the Isle of Dogs on the north and a similar peninsula on the Greenwich side.

The noble buildings, contrasting strangely with the wharves adjacent and opposite to it, make a striking picture, standing on the low river-bank with a background formed by the wooded elevation of Greenwich Park. They occupy the site of an ancient royal palace called Greenwich House, which was a favourite royal residence as early as 1300. It was granted by Henry V to Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, forlife. After Exeter's death in 1426, King Henry VI granted it to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who much improved the property and named it Placentia. It reverted to the crown at his death in 1447.

Greenwich Palace was the birthplace of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and here Edward VI died. The building was enlarged by Edward IV, by Henry VIII, who made it one of his chief residences, by James I, and by Charles I, who erected the "Queen's House" for Queen Henrietta Maria.

The tenure of land from the crown "as of the manor of East Greenwich" became at this time a recognized formula, and occurs in a succession of American colonial charters from those of Virginia in 1606, 1609 and 1612 to that of New Jersey in 1674. Along with other royal palaces, Greenwich was at the Revolution appropriated by the Protector, but it reverted to the crown on the restoration of King Charles II, by whom it was pulled down, and the west wing of the present hospital was erected as part of an extensive design which was not further carried out. In its unfinished state it was assigned by the patent of William and Mary to certain of the great officers of state, as commissioners for its conversion into a hospital for seamen; and it was opened as such in 1705.

The building consists of four blocks. Behind a terrace 860 ft. in length, stretching along the river side, are the buildings erected in the time of Charles II. from Inigo Jones's designs, and in that of Queen Anne from designs by Sir Christopher Wren; and behind these buildings are on the west those of King William and on the east those of Queen Mary, both from Wren's designs. In the King William range is the painted hall. Here in 1806 the remains of Nelson lay in state before their burial in St Paul's Cathedral. Its walls and ceiling were painted by Sir James Thornhill with various emblematic devices, and it is hung with portraits of the most distinguished admirals and paintings of the chief naval battles of England. In the Queen Anne range is the Royal Naval Museum, containing models, relics of Nelson and of Franklin, and other objects. In the centre of the principal quadrangle of the hospital there is a statue of George II by Rysbrack, sculptured out of a single block of marble taken from the French by Admiral Sir George Rooke. In the upper quadrangle is a bust of Nelson by Chantrey, and there are various other memorials and relics. The oldest part of the building was in some measure rebuilt in 1811, and the present chapel was erected to replace one destroyed by fire in 1779.

To the south of the hospital is Greenwich Park (185 acres), lying high, and commanding extensive views over London, the Thames and the plain of Essex. It was enclosed by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and laid out by Charles II, and contains a fine avenue of Spanish chestnuts planted in his time. In it is situated the Royal Observatory, built in 1675 for the advancement of navigation and nautical astronomy. From it the exact time is conveyed each day at one o'clock by electric signal to the chief towns throughout the country; British and the majority of foreign geographers reckon longitude from its meridian.

Other Local Resources:

• Drawing of Old Greenwich Palace, 1868
  

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Books for further study:

Thurley, Simon. The Royal Palaces of Tudor England:
           Architecture and Court Life, 1460-1547.
           Pittsburgh: Paul Mellon Center BA, 1993.

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Greenwich Palace on the Web:

• Greenwich Palace - Britannia.com
  
  

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Article Citation:

Jokinen, Anniina. “Greenwich Palace.” Luminarium.
                16 Aug. 2010. [Date when you accessed the page].
                <http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/greenwichpalace.htm>

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