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James's Palace
Location: St James's Palace, City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
Phon: +44 20 7930 4832
St James's Palace:
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St. James's Palace is the senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal residence. As the home of several members of the Royal Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official functions and is not open to the public.
History of St James's Palace:
St. James's Palace has been the setting for some of the most important events in Royal history.
Built largely between 1531 and 1536, St. James's Palace was a residence of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. It remains the official residence of the Sovereign, although, since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, the Sovereign has lived at Buckingham Palace. High Commissioners present letters and Ambassadors are still formally accredited to the Court of St. James's for this reason.
The palace was built by Henry VIII on the site of the Hospital of St. James, Westminster. Much survives of the red-brick building erected by Henry VIII, including the Chapel Royal, the gatehouse, some turrets and two surviving Tudor rooms in the State apartments.
Buildings later sprawled to cover the area of four courts now known as Ambassadors' Court, Engine Court, Friary Court and Colour Court. The great Tudor Gatehouse at the southern end of St. James's Street still bears Henry VIII's royal cypher HR, surmounted by his crown, above the original foot passages leading through to Colour Court.
Henry VIII's illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, whom he contemplated recognising as his heir, was living in the Palace when he died in 1536 at the age of seventeen. From then on St. James's House, as it was known, saw a succession of Royal inhabitants who lived there while playing their part in some of the more famous events in English history.
Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, stayed there the night after her coronation. Before she was discarded following the birth of Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth, the initials HA entwined in a lovers' knot appeared on a couple of Tudor fireplaces in the State apartments.
It was in St. James's Palace in 1558 that Mary Tudor signed the treaty surrendering Calais. Elizabeth I was resident during the threat posed by the Spanish Armada and set out from St James's to address her troops assembled at Tilbury, to the east of London.
The future Charles II and James II were both born and baptised at St James's, as were Mary of York (Mary II), Anne of York (Queen Anne) and James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender).
After the destruction of the Palace of Whitehall, all monarchs until William IV lived at St. James's for part of the time.
In 1809, much of the east and south ranges of the Palace was destroyed by fire, but the State rooms were restored by 1813. At this time the Prince Regent (later George IV) was living at Carlton House, but four of his brothers were provided with houses within the Palace walls. Frederick, Duke of York was given Godolphin House, now Lancaster House, and William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV) was given Clarence House, today occupied by The Prince of Wales.
William IV was the last Sovereign to use St. James's Palace as a residence. After his death, Court functions were still held in the State apartments, which had been enlarged by Christopher Wren and embellished by William Kent. Some rooms were later partly redecorated by William Morris. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in the Chapel Royal in 1840, and court levées continued to be held at St. James's Palace until 1939.
The State Apartments of the Palace contain many beautiful items of furnishing.
There are Mortlake tapestries ordered by Charles I as Prince of Wales in the Old Presence Chamber, and a fine display of arms and armour in the Armoury.
The State Apartments also contain an interesting range of Royal portraits from the time of Henry VIII, including important works by Mytens, Van Somer, Michael Wright and Wissing; portraits of military and naval heroes painted for George IV by Reynolds and Hoppner; a portrait of George IV by Lawrence; and important battle pieces by Wootton and George Jones..........Wikipedia >>
