This palace, ’tis a thing of splendour and class
With chimneys of pepperpot and weathervanes of brass;
Panelled windows for defence and safety,
Sweeping courtyards, the facilitation of gaiety.
Not all the goings-on at Richmond were cheery,
The deaths of kings and queens, positively eerie.
Can you imagine Henry VII admiring his domain,
His face in a smile and forever enjoying his reign?
Or young Elizabeth, taken by its beauty,
Inspired in her quiet and elegant royal duty?
Ah, Richmond Palace, what a place, what a treasure
To venture through its halls, what unbridled pleasure!
Though it is gone, one can’t help but wonder
What the place was like before it was all torn asunder.
Artwork by Jackie Benney. Published with permission of the artist.
