St. James's Palace, London

Built on the site of a leper hospital, St James's Palace has had an eventful history. Although no sovereign has lived there for over 200 years, it is still the official residence of the Queen and is the most senior royal palace in the UK, thus giving its name to the Royal Court. Even today, foreign ambassadors and senior commissioners are assigned to the court of St James, even though they are received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. It is also the official London residence of the Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Alexandra and The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. During its period of use, St James's Palace saw many births and deaths of Royals; two of Henry VIII's children died here - Mary I and the only illegitimate child he ever acknowledged: Henry FitzRoy (1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Earl of Nottingham). Elizabeth I held court here, Queen Anne gave birth to her 17 children within its walls and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married here in 1840. In 1997, the coffin of Princess Diana was placed on the altar of the Chapel Royal so that her family could pay their respects before the funeral at Westminster Abbey.

The Palace was built between 1531 and 1536, and was intended as a secondary palace to Whitehall. Built in red brick around four courtyards, the architecture was originally Tudor, but little of it survives today except the Chapel Royal (commemorating the marriage of Anne of Cleves to Henry VIII) and the Queen's Chapel, where services are held on Sunday mornings.

In 1809 a fire destroyed part of the Palace, including the Monarch's private apartments at the south east corner. These apartments were not replaced and Marlborough Road now runs between the Queen's Chapel and the other buildings. The Palace today is largely the work of Sir Christopher Wren and William Kent, but there was a lot of remodelling in the 19th century. William Morris and his firm were commissioned to redecorate the Armoury and the Tapestry Room in 1866-67. 

The palace is not open to the public.

Saint James's Palace

Marlborough Rd, London SW1A 1BS