Leeds Castle
Henry VIII took a great liking to Leeds Castle in Kent, and carried out lavish improvements, transforming it from castle to fortified palace. The King was often in Kent, where he was entertained at Penhurst Place and visited Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle. Leeds Castle had well-established royal links, and had been favoured by kings and queens since Edward l honeymooned there in 1299. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain by Charles Phillips (p.353)
In 1519, Henry VIII transformed Leeds Castle for his wife Katherine of Aragon.
“The best-documented royal visit to Leeds was in 1520, when Henry, with the queen and a huge retinue of over 5000 people, spent a night at the castle on his way from Greenwich to northern France for a ceremonial meeting with Francis I of France. This meeting became known from its magnificence as the Field of the Cloth of Gold and was part of unsuccessful diplomatic attempts by Francis to woo the English away from their alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Royal records show that venison from the Leeds park and butter from the dairies were supplied for use at the meeting.” – Source: Leeds Castle: Tudor Palace
