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St James's Palace, London

In 1532 Henry the Eighth acquired an area of water meadow near Westminster, as one of his many royal chases, called St James's Park. On the site of a thirteenth century hospital for leprosy victims, called St James's, Henry built accommodation for himself and his guests, for use during his hunting excursions. This building, originally St James's House, became St James's Palace, and much of Henry's original building survives. Like Hampton Court it was built in red brick, an ordinary building material today, but a very expensive status symbol in the sixteenth century. The Chapel Royal, the Gatehouse, some of the turrets, and the Tudor Rooms in the State Appartments are all part of the original building. The Gatehouse, in St James's Street, still carries the engraving of Henry's crown.

St James's soon became a premier royal palace, and has played a role in many historic events. As the Armada approached England in 1588, Elizabeth the First was staying at St James's. It was from here that she left to give her famous speech to troops at Tilbury: "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too..." As far as I'm aware it is not clear who wrote the Tilbury speech, but it could well have been Elizabeth herself. If she was the author, then it is likely she wrote the speech at St James's before leaving for Tilbury. From Elizabeth's moment of triumph we could move forward to January 1649, at the end of the English Civil War. Charles the First was taken from St James's Palace, through Horse Guards Parade to his place of execution at Banqueting House. Charles the Second, who would recover his father's lost throne was born at the palace, as was Charles the Second's brother James the Second who lost the throne again. He was deposed following the Glorious Revolution to be replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary, who was born at St James's. When Whitehall Palace burnt down in 1698, St James's became a main residence for all monarchs up until William the Fourth, who was succeeded by Victoria in 1837. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in the Chapel Royal in 1840.

Today the palace is used for state occasions, and receptions, and provides the London accommodation for the Princess Royal. Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales, is also part of St James's Palace. On the death of a monarch, the Accession Council would meet, according to tradition, at St James's, and the new monarch would be announced here.

 

St James's Palace from St James's Street

The building itself is not open to visitors, but it is possible to walk through the grounds of St James's Palace, I suggest walking through from St James's Park, across the Mall into Marlborough Road which will take you past one of the palace courtyards into St James's Street. Here you will see the Henry the Eighth Gatehouse.

Standing in St James's Street looking back at the weathered red brick of the palace, you get a real sense of what the monarchy is now for. The modern monarchy is a symbol of stability in a rapidly changing world. The family itself, inspite of aspirations to being a model family, dating to Edward the Eighth's abdication, has all the ups and downs of any other family. It is not a symbol of stability in that sense. Indeed the history of St James's shows that royal history has been anything but stable. But families, for all their troubles, are beguiling in their continuity, taking us back in easy steps into the past. St James's Palace is the place where the Accession Council meets on the death of a monarch, and where a new monarch is announced. For hundreds of years St James's has been at the centre of the role of the British royal family, whose job now is simply to be there, going back in a almost Biblical manner, generation after generation, to distant beginnings.

Incidentally, St James's Street itself takes you back in time. It has two of the oldest surviving shops in Britain; Berry Bros and Rudd, selling wine, and Locks, selling hats, both of which date from the eighteenth century. St James also has terraced housing dating from the very earliest developments in this design, built by Nicholas Bourbon between 1670 and 1700. Bourbon was taking advantage of all the building land available following the Great Fire of London - look for numbers 36 - 43.

Directions: St James's Palace is in Marlborough Road, just off the Mall in London. Click here for an interactive map centred on St James's Palace. The nearest Underground station is Green Park.