Hampton Court has been a Royal Palace for 500 years. Built by a Cardinal, and acquired by Henry VIII, it was the centre of political intrigue for the Tudor dynasty. Splendid and beautiful, it is truly impressive, expensive, and very large!

Visiting with friends, we took the tour to see the State rooms and humbler servant’s halls. Displays of Tudor cooking and costumed actors tried to re-create the atmosphere of power and wealth. It was educational, interesting, and even inspiring. Later reflections took a more sinister tone.

It was the window that did it. Sorting through photos taken that day, I was taken aback by the lack of transparency from outside. Anyone could have been inside that room behind the blank, dark glass.

In its history, there have been meetings of the powerful and plots by the politicians. King Henry VIII stood within those rooms and issued his decrees and…