Built in the 16th century, Hampton Court Palace is one of the two surviving properties out of the many that King Henry VIII owned. It was initially meant for Cardinal Wolsey instead of being a royal home, but when he fell from favor with the king, it was seized back and enlarged for King Henry VIII's personal use. The palace was constructed in hopes of outshining Versailles and screamed luxury wherever it could afford. The Hampton Court Palace has over 1,000 rooms and far exceeded the grandiose of any of King Henry VIII's former palaces. The magnificent gardens that accompany the palace take up over 60 acres of land, and contain over a million blossoming flowers as well as a variety of wildlife animals. There is truly no end to the beauty that this grand palace holds.