The Royals ~

[Lady Cop]

cool~

When it was built, it was hailed as one of the finest buildings of its age – only to be destroyed 150 years later.

Now Henry VIII’s ‘lost’ palace can be seen for the first time in more than 300 years – in a scale model based on 50 years of research.

The replica of Nonsuch Palace – so named because there was no other like it – took 1,250 hours to make.

Nonsuch was commissioned in 1538 by Henry VIII to celebrate the birth of his son, the future Edward VI, and outshine his rival, King Francois I of France.

The building was so grand that it inspired a foreign visitor to comment: ‘This which no equal has in art or fame, Britons deservedly do Nonsuch name.’

But by 1690 it had been completely dismantled by Charles II’s mistress, who sold its raw materials to pay off her gambling debts.

Modeler Ben Taggart spent years poring over illustrations, archaeological evidence, written sources, and artifacts from Nonsuch, including thousands of original stuccos and statues.