The popular and "scrupulous historian"(Daily Mail, London) Gareth Russell presents five hundred years of British history—from King Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II—as seen through the doorways of the exquisite Hampton Court Palace. Architecturally breathtaking and rich in splendid art and d?cor, Hampton Court Palace has been the stage of some of the most important events in British history, such as the commissioning of King James's version of the Bible, the staging of many of Shakespeare's plays, and Queen Elizabeth II's coronation ball.