Author: Augusta & Olivier Hofer

Orders of the day, Volume 34, Issue 1, March/April 2002

The preparation, construction and presentation of sweet dishes, pies, puddings and sugar work for the court of Charles I.

On a crispy, dull Sunday late morning two of Lindsey’s Coy set off to visit Hampton Court. To mark the day we were dressed in kit, the Swinglish drummer ‘boy’ and the Bernise. We were greeted by the guards and made our way to the Tudor Kitchens where the Palace kitchen workers were preparing all sorts of teeth-rotting goodies which would fit a hefty dentist bill or give you a warning finger from your GP regarding cholesterol levels. All sugar and spice “ginger, saffron, various kinds of pepper, vanilla, rose water”, a friendly chap explained, and we took in the scent of all kind of delicious ingredients.

We were most impressed with the sugar artwork: playing cards from pure sugar painted by a guy who comes from Worcester but lives in the Palace. We envied his skills to produce the most fantastic artworks. He explained that in the 17th century he would not have worked in the kitchen because of the sugar absorbing moisture. Most likely we would have found him upstairs in a warm and dry chamber where he would have worked long hours to prepare sweet art works to be used in banquets. At these banquets there were no meat or fish dishes, only sweets, puddings, pies and wine consumed out of sugar-based drinking vessels.

The kitchen crew wore breeches and doublets all made of hand-dyed wool (saffron, walnut, and chestnut). Their buttons were copied from originals in London museums. All their kitchen utensils (knives, spoons, dishes) were also copied from existing 17th century exhibits.

We returned twice to the Kitchen and even had the chance of a tiny taster but I had to declare that I would not sue them if I curled over and died. I know health regulations, nothing that a good swig of cherry schnapps cannot cure.

We also visited the Chapel which gives you a sentimental chill. The priest told us where Charles used to sit when he was attending services. Even to this day, as per the instructions of our most gracious King, when you enter the Chapel ladies have to sit to the right and gentlemen to the left. He also told us that there was once the most beautiful front of glass paint artwork by James Nicholson behind the Mass table. But what did this Puritan Cromwell do? He had it smashed all to pieces and replaced by dark wooden panelling with some dull and un-descriptional pattern. To cap it all he had the chapel organ destroyed, despite his then having two organs for his pleasure elsewhere in the Palace.

Augusta and I like Hampton Court and we were told that they once re-enacted the escape of Charles; however the Palace authorities did not like the idea of Parliamentarian troops in the Palace grounds. We loyal members of the King’s Lifeguard of Foote strongly agree: there is no place for Parliamentarians in the Palace chambers and gardens.

To close with something from the grapevine: one of the guards told me that a film company was planning to make a film of the life of Charles after the first Civil War, some of which would be shot in the Palace in January. Well, we’ll see whether this will crystallise into something.