St James's Palace, London

St James's Palace, London
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Jamess_Palace.jpg
Author: Tony Hisgett


St James's Palace is one of the oldest palaces in London. It is situated on Pall Mall, just north of St James's Park. It was commissioned by King Henry VII, and sits on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Younger, from whom the palace and the park took their names. The hospital was disbanded in 1532.

St James's Palace was constructed in red-brick Tudor style, and became the principal residence of the English monarch in London from 1698, when Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire.

Queen Mary I left her heart at St James's Palace. It was buried in the palace's Chapel Royal, along with her bowels. Queen Elizabeth I slept there, as did King Charles I ... less soundly for him, for it was his final night before execution. Oliver Cromwell turned it into a barracks. King Charles II restored it and laid out St James's Park.

After King George III bought Buckingham House (today known as Buckingham Palace), St James's Palace declined in importance, although it continued to be used for formal occasions. Queen Victoria formalised the move into Buckingham Palace, and ended St James's status as official residence.

Today, St James retains its role as the administrative centre of the monarchy. Foreign ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James's, even though they are received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. It is the London residence of Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. Within St James's Palace is York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons; Lancaster House, used by HM Goverment for official receptions; and nearby Clarence House, the home of the late Queen Mother, and present home of the Prince of Wales.

List of Historical buildings in London

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.