Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court The Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court Palace is a court for playing the sport of real tennis. It was built for Cardinal Wolsey between 1526 and 1529. Henry VIII of England played there from 1528. This court is still home to an active tennis club. In 2015 it was closed to visitors for major restoration works. During the 17th century various improvements were made to the court. One of the first acts of Charles II after his restoration in 1660 was to order the extensive refitting of the Tudor tennis court. This included the laying
Hampton Court Stakes three of Royal Ascot in 2002, when the meeting was extended to five days to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. That year's running was registered as the New Stakes, but for the Royal meeting it was renamed the Hampton Court Stakes. The extension of Royal Ascot was initially intended to be for one year only, but the extra day was retained thereafter. The race was now regularly titled the Hampton Court Stakes, named after Hampton Court, a royal residence of the Tudor period. The event was promoted to Group 3 level and renamed the Tercentenary Stakes in