Palace, Hampton Court

The kings and queens are leaving

on the tide,

in their gilded barges,

in the fading light.

Such a coming and going

of the glorious and the glamorous,

the fickle and the fated.

Only their ghosts are returning

on the tide,

in their glinting jewelry,

in the elusive light.

Such a coming and going

of the passionate and the patient,

the sighing and the silent.

By Robert Seatter

If you enjoyed this poem, take a look at the other Thames Path 30th Anniversary poems.

HAMPTON COURT

The Thames has witnessed the passage of history, especially from the famous palaces that line the river – none more so than Hampton Court. Its large astronomical clock in the main courtyard reminds us the moon’s power over the river and the precarious lives of humanity.

Hampton Court Palace is one of Britain’s most famous buildings, and a surviving Tudor treasure that was at the centre of court and political life for over two hundred years. Built to house monarchs, their courtiers and an army of servants, and designed to impress powerful visitors, this vast complex of buildings contains over a thousand rooms and is set within many acres of stunning gardens and parkland.