April 21, 2017 - This is Hampton Court Palace.
We visited here today and had to take the train because it is around 20 miles outside of London. It is a beautiful place and not crowded.
Although Hampton has long been associated with Henry VIII, he never spent more than 2 months at a time here.
He had some 70 residences and his court, which always traveled with him, numbered almost a thousand people. So when he moved around, it was an event.
He came here to avoid the plague when it was active in London. Of note, Jane Seymour, his 3rd wife did give birth here to his only male heir, Edward VI.
Jane would die here 12 days later at the age of 28. She labored for 72 hours due to the baby not being positioned correctly. She most likely had a retained piece of the placenta still in her and died of infection. She is the only wife of Henry's given a Queen's funeral and is buried with him in his tomb.
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