Greenwich Palace—the birthplace of the Tudor monarch King Henry VIII—once stood on the site where the Old Royal Naval College now stands in Greenwich, London.  Known as “the father of the royal navy,” Henry made substantial investments in his fleets. Located beside the River Thames, the palace site was ideal for Henry to be close to the docks where his favorite warships, the Great Harry and the Mary Rose, were moored. Traces of the Tudor palace do remain on the site, but most of the palace was destroyed after it fell into disrepair during the English Civil War (1642–1651). In place of the palace is an astounding testament to Britain’s maritime history: the magnificent baroque-style Old Royal Naval College, built during the late 17th to early 18th century. Before her death, Queen Mary II (1662–1694) commissioned the Royal Hospital for Seamen to be built at Greenwich for Royal Navy retirees, …