One of my most memorable tours was to England’s King Henry VII’s Hampton Court home. The place probably costed a fortune! Every room was decorated with gold, beautiful sculptures, and paintings. In my opinion, the most magnificent room was the dining hall, for it could hold up to 1,000 people.

Since the summer home was so popular, the historians turned it into a museum! My favorite room was the dining hall because on the long tables, there were fun facts and some dining rules/manners the King dictated. For example:This rule in particular made me laugh so hard! But when you didn’t follow the rules, the King would most likely punish you in a harsh way. 

Something even more interesting is how the food was served in the summer home. Wherever the King traveled to Hampton Court, his staff all went, too! That meant that the kitchen workers had to serve around 600 guests everyday! Basically, there would be 15-20 courses and 1-5 desserts all on trays. The waiters would go around starting from the more important and loyal staff to the least valued workers. The waiters would ask the men and women if they wanted the food the they was carrying. If someone did want anything, then the waiter would serve it to them and move on to the next guest. When they got to the end, and there was nothing left of something, too bad! Some people didn’t get what they wanted. If there was extras, more rounds would be served and then given to the poor, homeless people waiting outside the gate.

As for drinks, the followers all believed that water and milk was contaminated and instead drank wine for every meal. A lot of the must have been drunk! Here are some pictures of more dining rules and manners, facts, and other pictures from King Henry VII’s Hampton Court home: