St. James's Palace

St. James’s Palace is one of London’s oldest and most historic palaces. It is situated on The Mall in London, England, just north of St. James’s Park.

The palace was commissioned in 1530 by Henry VIII, on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less (from whom the Palace and the nearby Park take their names).

It was constructed in the red-brick Tudor style around four courtyards. It became the principal residence of the monarch in London from 1698, when Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire, and became the administrative centre of the monarchy (a role it still retains). Mary I died there, with her heart and bowels being buried in the palace’s Chapel Royal. It was used as a barracks during the English Commonwealth period, before being renovated by Charles II, who also laid out St. James’s Park.