Britain's Tudor Treasure: A Night at Hampton Court (2015)
Lucy Worsley and David Starkey celebrate the 500th anniversary of Britain's finest surviving Tudor building, Hampton Court. As Henry VIII's pleasure palace, Hampton Court was a showcase for royal magnificence and ceremony - and the most important event of all was the christening of Henry's long-awaited son, Prince Edward, on October 15th, 1537. Lucy and David explore how Tudor art, architecture and ritual came together for this momentous occasion. Drawing on historical records and with the help of a team of experts, they recreate key elements of the christening ceremony - including a magnificent set piece procession through Hampton Court involving nearly 100 people in full Tudor costume.
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I assumed that this documentary featuring historian Lucy Worsley would be about the history of Hampton Court...a royal palace just outside of London. However, instead the focus is clearly on the court etiquette and ceremony...particularly at the time of young Price Edward's christening. This makes it a VERY specific sort of film...sort of like peering through time to see this event and this even alone. So, although you hear about Cardinal Woolsey in passing, you really learn little about the place's history and about the palace after the reign of King Henry VIII. For me, this sort of emphasis on clothing, manners and the christening was a bit on the dull side. Now I am not saying the show is bad or not worth seeing. It's just something that has more limited appeal as opposed for a more traditional sort of narrative.