Kings Langley Palace
Encyclopedia
Kings Langley Palace was a 13th century Royal Palace located at Kings Langley
in Hertfordshire
.
summoned the Bishop
of Norwich
to Kings Langley Palace so providing the first evidence of its existence. Edward of Carnarvon, later Edward II
, when Prince of Wales, spent considerable stretches of time at his manor of Langley. In the former Dominican priory
established in 1308 and built by Edward II
in the park of his manor at "King's Langley", the king reburied his beloved Piers Gaveston
in January 1315; no traces of the monastery church or Gaveston's tomb remain.
When the plague was rife in London
in 1349 King Edward III
moved his Court there and later King Richard II
celebrated Christmas
there. The Palace was damaged by a serious fire in 1431 and the last evidence of its use for official occasions was in 1476 when William Wallingford, Abbot
of St. Albans, held a banquet
there for the Bishop
of Llandaff
.
The manor was transferred to Eton College
but reverted to the Crown, for Henry VIII
conveyed it upon Catherine of Aragon
, whom he was about to marry. John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
was given custody of the royal park at Kings Langley, one of many perquisites he accumulated at the court of Henry VIII.
The gatehouse
and parts of the main building were still standing in 1591, though it was reported in 1895 "at Kings
Langley some outer walls only exist of the once royal palace, erected by Henry III." The site is now occupied by the Rudolf Steiner School
. A small display case of items from the Palace era recovered during excavation can be seen in the school entrance hall.
courtyard
layout. It appears from excavations that the Palace also had a huge underground wine cellar
.
Kings Langley
Kings Langley is a historic English village and civil parish northwest of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
History
In 1299 King Edward IEdward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
summoned the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
to Kings Langley Palace so providing the first evidence of its existence. Edward of Carnarvon, later Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
, when Prince of Wales, spent considerable stretches of time at his manor of Langley. In the former Dominican priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
established in 1308 and built by Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
in the park of his manor at "King's Langley", the king reburied his beloved Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I of England, and was assigned to the household of the King's son, Edward of Carnarvon...
in January 1315; no traces of the monastery church or Gaveston's tomb remain.
When the plague was rife in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1349 King Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
moved his Court there and later King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
celebrated Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
there. The Palace was damaged by a serious fire in 1431 and the last evidence of its use for official occasions was in 1476 when William Wallingford, Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of St. Albans, held a banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
there for the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
.
The manor was transferred to Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
but reverted to the Crown, for Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
conveyed it upon Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, whom he was about to marry. John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, KG, PC, JP was an English royal minister in the Tudor era. He served variously as Lord High Admiral and Lord Privy Seal....
was given custody of the royal park at Kings Langley, one of many perquisites he accumulated at the court of Henry VIII.
The gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
and parts of the main building were still standing in 1591, though it was reported in 1895 "at Kings
Langley some outer walls only exist of the once royal palace, erected by Henry III." The site is now occupied by the Rudolf Steiner School
Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley
Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley is a Steiner School located in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1949.The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 years old, and has a capacity of 440 pupils....
. A small display case of items from the Palace era recovered during excavation can be seen in the school entrance hall.
Architecture
The Palace had a tripleTriple
Triple, a doublet of "treble" or "threefold" , is used in several contexts:* Triple metre, a musical metre characterized by a primary division of three beats to the bar...
courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
layout. It appears from excavations that the Palace also had a huge underground wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
.