Discovery
On April 21, 2017, conservators working on a project at the Old Royal Naval College in England discovered rooms from Greenwich Palace, the birthplace of Tudor monarchs Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, his daughter. [Read more about the rooms found at Greenwich Palace]
Uncovering the past
One of the rooms had a Flemish tile floor, and the other had a low ceiling and recesses in the walls that may have been used to store baskets that contained bees — a source of honey and wax — during the winter.
The dig
During his lifetime, Henry VIII spent 4,000 nights at Greenwich Palace, Will Palin, conservation director for the Old Royal Naval College, told Live Science.
Glimpse of the tiles
Yellow Flemish tile can be seen here.
Unknown purpose
It's possible that the rooms were used by Henry VIII's courtiers or were connected to the on-site armory or nearby friary church.
Boisterous fun
The palace had a tiltyard (a courtyard for jousting), a banquet hall, horse stables, dog kennels and places for cockfights.
The Painted Hall
The two Greenwich Palace rooms are on the site of the Painted Hall, which contains baroque murals by the English painter Sir James Thornhill that are currently undergoing restoration.
