Lost Tudor Chapel Found in London

|PIC1|Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a lost Tudor chapel at Greenwich. The chapel originally built by Henry VII, was used as a place of worship by the monarch and his successors from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I.

The chapel was originally part of the Tudor Royal Palace of Placentia (meaning ‘pleasant place to live’) was one of the favoured palaces of the Tudor monarchs.

Placentia did not survive the 17th century, as it was demolished to make way for the Greenwhich Hospital. The site is now the location of the Old Naval College. Although the chapel had long been lost, its existence was known of from paintings and records.

The site was discovered four weeks ago, when a bulldozer’s bucket struck some brickwork - the first physical evidence of the chapel.

A team of four archaeologists from the Museum of London have so far managed to uncover the chapel’s eastern walls, a section of geometrically tiled black and white floor (10ft by 5ft) under which lies an unexplored vault. The team has also uncovered the foundations and fireplaces of the vestry, east of the chapel.

|AD|The section of floor is almost certainly the ground upon which the altar was placed and also where the Tudor monarchs would have prayed.

It is also possible that it is the spot where Henry VIII married two of his wives (Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves); although some historians claim the weddings may have taken place in the private quarters of the Palace of Placentia.

Simon Thurley, the chief executive of English Heritage and the author of a study of Tudor palaces said of the discovery: "This is an astonishing survival."

He continued: "For the first time ever we can see close up and in detail the east end of a Tudor royal chapel. Unlike Hampton Court and St James's Palace, where the chapels have been altered, here we can see what Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth would have seen.
These have the potential to throw fresh light on the inner workings of the Tudor court."

Historian Dr David Starkey also spoke of the discovery, saying: "This gives us a real sense of the absolute heart of the palace... When Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves in the first-floor closet, what he saw through the window was the tiled floor and altar that have now been revealed."

The Museum of London’s senior archaeologist claimed: "This is the most important find I’ve made in the past 10 years."

Little is known of Placentia Palace by comparison to other Tudor Palaces in London. It was formerly a manor called Bellacourt, and it was Henry VI who upon receiving it named it Placentia (or L’Pleazaunce) because of its pleasant situation.

Henry VIII clearly agreed with his father about the palace being ‘a pleasant place to live’ for it was his favourite residence during the early half of his reign, and his two daughters, the future queens Mary and Elizabeth were born there.