Nonsuch Palace was a Tudorroyalpalace that was built by Henry VIII in Surrey, on the location of Cuddington, near Epsom (the church and village of Cuddington were destroyed to create the plot for the palace). The palace was broken up in the late 17th century, and parts were incorporated into other buildings. No trace of the palace remains on its site, but some pieces are held by the British Museum.
Nonsuch Palace was arguably the greatest of Henry VIII's building projects. Building work began on 22 April1538, at the start of Henry's 30th year of reign and only six months after the birth of his son, later Edward VI. The palace was designed to be a celebration of the power and the grandeur of the Tudor dynasty, built to rival Francis I'sChambord. The palace took nine years to build and cost at least £24,000 (a king's ransom at the time) due to its rich ornamentation.
The plan of the palace was quite simple with inner and outer courtyards, each with a fortified gatehouse. To the north, it was fortified in a medieval style, but the southern face had ornate Renaissance decoration, with tall octagonal towers at each end. The exterior and outer couryward were quite plain, but the inner courtyard was decorated with breathtaking stucco panels moulded in high relief.
The palace lay to the west side of Nonsuch Park and should not be confused with Nonsuch Mansion, which is at the east of the park.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building forming the core of today's palace was formerly a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by King George III in 1762 as a private residence.
James's Palace remained the official and ceremonial royal residence; indeed, the tradition continues to date of foreign ambassadors being formally accredited to "the Court of St. James's", even though it is at Buckingham Palace that they present their credentials and staff to the Queen upon their appointment.
On VE Day (May 8, 1945), the Palace was the centre of British celebrations, with the King, Queen and the Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen, and Princess Margaret appearing on the balcony, with the palace's fled-out windows behind them, to the cheers from a vast crowd in the Mall.
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