‘I live in Henry VIII’s haunted palace for a strange reason’
While most can only fantasise living like a Royal, one Londoner is actually experiencing it first-hand at Henry VIII’s former residence on the banks of the River Thames. Jack Joseph shared on TikTok the remarkable circumstances that led to him moving into Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
“I’m 28 and I’m from North London, and in 2022 I moved in to Henry VIII’s 500-year old haunted palace,” he said in a video recorded in his palace bedroom. Jack clarified, however, that he holds no Royal title and isn’t employed by the palace itself. “This is just my home,” he confirmed.
But what prompted such an extraordinary move? “While I live in Hampton Court Palace, that’s arguably not the most niche thing about my life,” Jack disclosed in a follow-up video. He then revealed his occupation as the catalyst for his unique living arrangement.
“I’m a professional real tennis player,” he said. Jack highlighted the distinction between ‘real tennis’ and conventional ‘lawn tennis’ most are familiar with. He explained: “It [real tennis] is the original racket sport, known as ‘court tennis’ in America and ‘jeu de paume’ in France.”
Demonstrating footage of the sport from within the palace walls, Jack noted: “It’s been played at Hampton Court Palace since the 1530s [during Henry VIII’s reign]. Henry VIII used to play here and now I do because of my job.”
He concluded: “This is my base, which means the place millions of people visit on a day trip is just where I live and go to work.”
Many TikTok users responded to the videos, asking for more details about his unique living situation. One enquired: “So jealous, that’s amazing, always wanted to live in one of the apartments there. Do you have neighbours?” To which Jack explained: “There are three tennis pros that live here including myself, we each get our own apartment so I’ve got some neighbours!”.
Another asked: “Can you order a pizza to your front door or do have to walk to the gate?” Jack replied: “I’ll film it, fortunately I can get it delivered to my door!”
And third person queried: “Am I right in thinking that the club pro has to hand sew the balls, still?” Jack confirmed: “Yep! All the real tennis balls are still handmade from scratch by the tennis pros.”
Hampton Court Palace’s website provides further information about the Tudor king and the sport: “As a young man, Henry VIII was athletic, graceful and loved sports, especially tennis. He was a keen and talented player who spent hours on court.
“In 1519, the Venetian Ambassador wrote: ‘it was the prettiest thing in the world to see him play; his fair skin glowing through a shirt of the finest texture’.”
It further notes: “The first tennis court at Hampton Court Palace was built for Cardinal Wolsey between 1526 and 1529. The current tennis court was built for Charles I in 1625. Three of its walls date from this period and the external wall to the right of the viewing gallery is one of Cardinal Wolsey’s originals.”
