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Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace) in the parish of Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, north of London, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries.
- The Cecils at Theobalds
- A Royal Palace
- Civil War
- Later History
- A Final Irony
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Sir William Cecil, the Lord High Treasurer of England, acquired the manor in 1564 and had a house built, which soon after received a visit from Queen Elizabeth. She was so impressed by the house and its surroundings that Cecil (later Lord Burleigh, perhaps the greatest statesman of his age) replaced the modest building with a palatial house. Elizab...
James Stuart was as taken with Theobalds as Elizabeth had been, and went one step further. In 1607, he persuaded Cecil to exchange the property for Hatfield House, the family’s seat ever since. Although Hatfield was a larger and more valuable property, both men regarded Theobalds as the greater prize. Theobalds became one of James’s favourite resid...
James died at Theobalds in 1625, and his son was proclaimed Charles I at the palace’s gates. Charles maintained Theobalds as a royal palace, although he paid it less attention than his father had. Nevertheless, in 1642, after his catastrophic attempt to arrest the Five Members in Parliament, Charles withdrew to Theobalds to plan his next move. Afte...
A 1650 parliamentary survey of the estate, which estimated its size as over 2,500 acres, was followed by the palace’s demolition the following year. Three smaller but substantial houses were subsequently built on the estate: Old Palace House, Grove House and the Cedars, utilising some masonry from the palace. All three are now demolished, but Old P...
The manor of Theobalds descended separately from ownership of the house. In a final irony, the manor passed in the late 18th century to one Oliver Cromwell, great-grandson of his more famous namesake.
Learn about the origins, owners and events of Theobalds Palace, a former residence of King James I and Charles I. Find out how it was exchanged for Hatfield House, demolished, and rebuilt as a hotel and conference centre.
Theobalds was a house originally built by William Cecil Queen Elizabeth I’s chief minister. It was quite unlike any courtier house built since Cardinal Wolsey’s Hampton Court, because it contained, not only all the rooms and facilities needed for the queen’s secretary to run the business of the state, but also a designated suite of ...
Theobalds was perhaps the most significant English country house of the Elizabethan period and in 1607 was taken on as a royal palace. It was visited by all the major court and political figures of the age, while its fame also extended overseas.
- Emily Cole
- 2017
Mar 14, 2020 · Theobalds was a magnificent country house built by William Cecil, Lord Burghley, for his royal mistress Elizabeth I. Learn about its history, architecture, and royal visits in this article by Emily Cole of Historic England.
Theobalds House, also known as Theobalds Palace, stood in south-eastern Hertfordshire, close to the Middlesex border. It was once one of the greatest houses of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Ages, but only ruins now remain, which are to be found in what is now Cedars Park on the outskirts of Cheshunt.
Theobalds was a magnificent country house built by Elizabeth I's chief minister, Sir William Cecil, near Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. It was the largest and most extravagant of the Tudor prodigy houses, with five courtyards, towers, turrets, loggias and galleries, and was frequently visited by the Queen and her court.
