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The site of the Old Royal Naval College was once the Palace of Placentia – also known as Greenwich Palace (1498–1694). It was the birthplace of the infamous Tudor monarch King Henry VIII and his daughters Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. Find out more about the Tudors at Greenwich.
The Palace of Placentia, more commonly known as Greenwich Palace, was one of the most important palaces in Tudor England. It was built on the banks of the River Thames by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in 1443. King Henry VIII was born here in 1491, and it was in this palace that Queen Elizabeth I was born in the September of 1533.
Book tickets. The Queen's House, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark sit at the heart of historic Greenwich, a place that's been shaped by royalty for more than 500 years. Greenwich was the site of a major royal palace from the mid-15th century, and both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born here.
Who was the Queen's House built for, and who lived there? How did it survive the end of Greenwich Palace, and what's it like to visit today? Discover its story for free
Greenwich Palace was the site of many significant Tudor events: the birthplace of Henry VIII (1491) and his daughters, Mary I (1516) and Elizabeth I (1533), it was also where the young Edward VI died (1553).
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time. The town became the site of a royal palace, the Palace of Placentia, from the 15th century and was the birthplace of many Tudors, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
Greenwich Palace became one of the most important palaces of the Tudor era, and was the birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Little of that original palace remains above ground, although archaeological work in 2017 revealed the remains of service rooms that would have supported the palace's Friary buildings.
