Tales of London

Buckingham Palace may be the official residence of the King, but tucked away on the corner of Pall Mall and St James's Street is the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. Unknown to most tourists to London, this is St James’s Palace, and is the home of the monarch's court. Ambassadors to the UK are appointed to the Court of St James’s, and all ambassadors and high commissioners from the UK are accredited by the court: they are representatives of the Crown, rather than of the country.

St James’s was built by Henry VIII in the 1530s; the gatehouse on Pall Mall dates from that time, although the clock at the very top reads WR IV 1832, telling us that dates from the reign of William IV. Henry built the palace on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less, hence this very high-end area of London is named for a place dedicated to the care of those with rotting limbs. Inscribed on a couple of fireplaces within the palace can still be seen the initials ‘H.A’, for Henry and Anne Boleyn – although their marriage didn’t survive anywhere near as long as those engravings have. The palace was secondary in importance to Whitehall, but was intended to be a smaller home to escape court life: ironic, seeing as St James’s is now the home of the monarch’s court. 

Henry’s hunting parties set off for Hyde Park from here, something that it is still possible to picture today during the Changing of the Guard ceremony. The King’s Guard departs from Friary Court, just off Marlborough Road, and is the best place to view the ceremony without having to fight your way through huge crowds of tourists. Friary Court was also the location of the first declaration of Charles as the new monarch, two days after the death of the Queen. Marlborough Road, incidentally, is where the monarch's private apartments once stood, until they burnt down in 1809 and were not rebuilt.

St James’s has featured in many important regal events over the centuries. Two of Henry VIII’s children died here: his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, and his daughter Queen ‘Bloody’ Mary. It’s said that Mary’s heart and bowels are buried within the Chapel Royal, even though her body is in Westminster Abbey – although I can’t find any reliable sources to verify this story. St James’s was also where Mary signed the treaty surrendering Calais to the French (boo). Another daughter of Henry, Elizabeth I, spent the night at the palace whilst awaiting news of the Spanish Armada in 1588. She departed from St James's Palace the following morning to see her troops at Tilbury, where she gave her famous speech “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king”.

St James’s Palace was where Charles I spent his final night before his execution on Whitehall, and afterwards Oliver Cromwell turned the palace into a barracks. But it was also where every later Stuart monarch had been born: Charles II, James II, Mary II and Anne. In 1698, following the fire that destroyed Whitehall Palace, St James's became the principal residence of the monarch. Both George I and George II kept their mistresses at St James’s Palace; George II dismissed his son and heir Prince Frederick from the court, just as his own father George I had done to him when he was Prince of Wales (the father-son relationships of the Hanoverians were notoriously bitter). And if you're wondering why we didn't end up with a King Frederick, it's because legend has it he was killed by a cricket ball in 1751, nine years before the death of his father the king.

George III wasn't a fan of St James's Palace, finding that it was impossible to escape from court life, and in 1761 he purchased Buckingham House - later to become Buckingham Palace - for his wife Queen Charlotte. Gradually the royal family spent more and more time at Buckingham Palace, until the move was officially formalised by Queen Victoria upon her accession to the throne in 1837. Victoria did however return to the chapel at St James's Palace to marry Prince Albert in 1840, and eighteen years later it was also where their eldest daughter – also called Victoria – married Prince Frederick of Prussia. Their son would become Wilhelm II: the Kaiser during the First World War.

Even in recent history the palace has been an important landmark. Within the grounds is Clarence House, which is where Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, lived with her husband Philip after their marriage in 1947. Clarence House was later the residence of the Queen Mother, and today is one of the official residences of King Charles. As for St James's Palace itself, it is the London home of Princesses Anne (who was born at Clarence House) and Alexandra (the Queen's cousin).

Today St James's is a working palace, hosting receptions for foreign heads of state and charities of which the royal family are patrons. It is also where the Accession Council meets to officially proclaim the name of the new king or queen upon the death of the previous monarch ("The King is dead, long live the King!"). The palace isn’t normally open to the public; however, you are occasionally able to attend Sunday services at the Chapel Royal within the grounds, so take a look online for further details.

For more stories about the bizarre and quirky history of the capital, check out my other articles, or click here to subscribe to future updates!