Anne of Denmark

In the early 17th century Oatlands Palace became the Queen's main country home. Anne of Denmark and Henrietta Maria (wives of James I and Charles I respectively) both spent long periods there. They made fashionable improvements inside and out, employing the best architects and gardeners.

A contemporary account describes lavish improvements to the Palace gardens under James and Anne: 'The makinge of a new brick wall to compass and enclose her majesties vineyard at Otelands and the long privy walle addoiyninge to the same ass in levellinge the grene above the vineyarde being trenched very deep to kill the ferne rootes and making a Silkewormehouse ... seates of wainscott to stande in the vineyard ... A false dove for the privy walke...'

Unlike Elizabeth I, Anne was not a successful huntress at Oatlands. Indeed, the only account of her hunting there descibes how she shot and killed her husband's favourite dog.