![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/63BCF1D7-3B59-4FB9-B09F-06F7234B3778/RAPCY2.jpg)
A 17th Century Tennis court. By the sixteenth century tennis was already an old game and formed part of a young Henry VIII’s education and over the next 20-25 years. He built tennis-plays or courts, the most impressive of which was ‘the great covered courts’ built at Hampton Court Palace and Whitehall in 1532-33. In Great Britain, as in France, royal patronage ensured the continued popularity of the game and Stuart Kings in the 17th century were enthusiastic players.
A 17th Century Tennis court. By the sixteenth century tennis was already an old game and formed part of a young Henry VIII’s education and over the next 20-25 years. He built tennis-plays or courts, the most impressive of which was ‘the great covered courts’ built at Hampton Court Palace and Whitehall in 1532-33. In Great Britain, as in France, royal patronage ensured the continued popularity of the game and Stuart Kings in the 17th century were enthusiastic players. George IV (1763-1830), Prince Albert (1819-1861) – there is a locker in the changing room at Hampton Court Palace which still bears his name – Edward VII (1842-1910) and George V (1866-1936) have all supported the game.
Size: 4440px × 3752px
Location: Hampton Court Palace. Middlesex, England
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 17th, antiquarian, antiquity, art, assembly, black, britain, british, century, city, countryside, court, culture, demesne, domain, drawing, england, english, engraving, estate, etching, garden, great, hampton, heritage, historic, history, icon, iconic, illustration, kingdom, kings, leisure, lifestyle, line, lithograph, london, meeting, middlesex, monarchs, monochrome, people, pictorial, picture, playing, racquet, recreation, rural, sketch, sport, sports, study, tennis, uk, united, white, woodcut