Building    From 1440  To 1660

Greenwich Palace / Palace of Placentia

Categories: Property, Royalty

The palace was built, as Bella Court, by Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, regent to the child king Henry VI.  When the king married Margaret of Anjou Humphrey fell out of favour and died in prison in 1447.  Margaret took over Bella Court and renamed it the Palace of Placentia, under which name (derived from Latin for 'pleasant place to live') it was the main royal residence until the 1600s, though it was rebuilt by Henry VII, 1498 - 1504. 

The Civil War left it in a bad state and Charles II had the Tudor buildings demolished intending to build a sumptuous replacement.  But only the King’s House was built and the site was never again a royal residence. It remained empty until the Greenwich Hospital was built.

The dates 1440 - 1660 are approximate.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Greenwich Palace / Palace of Placentia

Commemorated ati

Greenwich Palace

The plaque was unveiled to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Queen Elizabe...

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John Blanke - Trinity Laban Conservatoire

'fl' stands for 'floruit' (Latin) which means 'he or she flourished', and den...

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Other Subjects

Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace

First mentioned in the Domesday Book, but the origins of this Palace are probably much earlier. It was given to Edward II in 1305, and was a royal residence until the 16th century. In 1933 the leas...

Building, Property, Royalty

1 memorial
Opening of Austin Friars House

Opening of Austin Friars House

Our picture shows part of this building in 1970, before the restoration.

Event, Property

1 memorial
Geoffrey Mills

Geoffrey Mills

Valuation surveyor involved in the creation of Burgess Park. He was piloting a Cessna 172 light aircraft when it crashed in a field near Biggin Hill Airfield, Kent. Three colleagues from work were ...

Person, Gardens / Agriculture, Property, Tragedy

1 memorial
Fleming Court flats opened

Fleming Court flats opened

Built by the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington Architects’ Department, or the LCC depending on source.

Event, Property

1 memorial
Herbert Huntly-Gordon

Herbert Huntly-Gordon

Architect and speculative builder.  Worked closely with the manufacturers Doulton and Company to produce a rough-faced terracotta for this type of neo-renaissance architectural decoration.  Ornamen...

Person, Architecture, Property

1 memorial