Changes

The River Thames also has strong associations with the English, later British, Royal Family. Many significant royal homes are or were situated by the river, and monarchs would travel between them by lavishly-decorated barges. These include (west to east) Windsor Castle (still a royal residence), Hampton Court Palace, Richmond Palace, Kew Palace, Whitehall Palace (the [[Palace of Westminster]]), the Tower of London, and Greenwich. [[Runnymede]], where [[King John]] signed the [[Magna Carta]] is believed to be either a meadow beside the Thames or an island in the river.

The River Thames also has strong associations with the English, later British, Royal Family. Many significant royal homes are or were situated by the river, and monarchs would travel between them by lavishly-decorated barges. These include (west to east) Windsor Castle (still a royal residence), Hampton Court Palace, Richmond Palace, Kew Palace, Whitehall Palace (the [[Palace of Westminster]]), the Tower of London, and Greenwich. [[Runnymede]], where [[King John]] signed the [[Magna Carta]] is believed to be either a meadow beside the Thames or an island in the river.

Commercial river traffic is now largely confined to container traffic using the extensive docks at [[Tilbury]] in [[Essex]]; the docks in [[London]] have been filled in or are used for leisure and housing. Leisure craft form the majority of the boats that ply the river (but this was true a century or more ago: see, for example, the works of [[Jerome K. Jerome]]).

Commercial river traffic is now largely confined to container traffic using the extensive docks at [[Tilbury]] in [[Essex]]; the docks in [[London]] have been filled in or are used for leisure and housing. Leisure craft form the majority of the boats that ply the river (but this was true a century or more ago: see, for example, the works of [[Jerome K. Jerome]]). The Thames plays host to the annual Oxford and Cambridge boat race, in which a team of eights from each University compete to row the course in the shortest time period.

The river above Teddington Lock is governed by the Environment Agency<ref>http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation/747415/150319/?version=1&lang=_e</ref>; from Teddington Lock to the sea by the Port of London Authority<ref>http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/</ref>.

The river above Teddington Lock is governed by the Environment Agency<ref>http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation/747415/150319/?version=1&lang=_e</ref>; from Teddington Lock to the sea by the Port of London Authority<ref>http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/</ref>.