April 1, 1986

A fire today destroyed part of Hampton Court, Henry VIII's palace by the Thames and one of Britain's most famous historic buildings. Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family rushed to inspect the wreckage caused by the blaze, which left one person dead and millions of dollars in damage. The Queen appeared upset when she saw the damage, and was heard to describe it as ''dreadful.'' ''The fire is a great tragedy,'' Richard Tracey, Under Secretary of State for the Environment, said after arriving at the palace, 15 miles southwest of London. ''This building is one of the jewels of our heritage.''

The Vatican has suspended an order of ''penitential silence'' imposed 11 months ago on a Brazilian theologian. The theologian, Friar Leonardo Boff, had been banned from editing, writing or speaking in public for an unspecified period after charges that he had committed serious doctrinal errors. Friar Boff indicated that he thought the Vatican's action was a gesture of good will toward Brazil's Roman Catholic bishops. He said he had received the news ''as an Easter present.''

John Anthony Ciardi, the poet and professor who was internationally acclaimed for his translation of Dante's ''Inferno,'' died Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J., after suffering a heart attack. Mr. Ciardi, who made his home in Metuchen, N.J., was 69 years old. The author of some 40 books of poetry and criticism including many volumes of children's verse, Mr. Ciardi taught for many years at Rutgers University and Harvard and served as poetry editor of the Saturday Review from 1956 to 1972. An outspoken poet and critic known for his sharp and witty images, Mr. Ciardi won praise for his verses, which spoke honestly to children, and for the 1959 poetry textbook, ''How Does a Poem Mean?'' He was outspokenly critical of traditional poetry aimed at youngsters, which struck him as ''written by a sponge dipped in warm milk and sprinkled with sugar.''

For more than a generation, the familiar cry ''Surf's up!'' has sent thousands of enthusiastic surfers charging down Long Island's sandy beaches. Soon, however, surfing and a host of other summer activities may come to an end. The towns with the beaches are finding it impossible to obtain adequate, affordable liability insurance. ''The lawyers and the insurance companies are responsible for this,'' said John Kessel of Deer Park, a teacher at Glen Cove High School who was donning his wetsuit at Cedar Beach today in preparation for an afternoon in the breakers.

Intensifying trade tensions with Western Europe, President Reagan threatened today to raise barriers against as much as $1 billion of imports from the European Economic Community to retaliate for European measures that the White House says have hurt American farm exports. The warning, which drew an angry protest from the European Economic Community, was part of a series of moves, including two others announced today, by Mr. Reagan over the last six months against what the United States considers to be proliferating unfair trade practices of foreign governments. Today's moves also came as new strains on trade build up between the United States and Japan after the failure of negotiators to agree on a pact governing semiconductor trade between the two nations. The tougher policy is chiefly aimed at undercutting Congressional protectionism. But political analysts said today's moves were also designed to help Republicans in the depressed Farm Belt this election year.