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QUEEN AT 85 St James's

St. James's Palace is the senior Palace of the Buildings later sprawled to cover the area of four Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal courts now known as Ambassadors' Court, residence. As the home of several members of Engine Court, Friary Court and Colour Court. the Royal Family and their household offices, The great Tudor Gatehouse at the southern end it is often in use for official functions and is of St. James's Street still bears Henry VIII's royal not open to the public. cypher HR, surmounted by his crown, above the original foot passages leading through to Colour History of St James’s Court.

Palace Henry VIII's illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, St. James's Palace has been the setting for some whom he contemplated recognising as his heir, of the most important events in Royal history. was living in the Palace when he died in 1536 at the age of seventeen. From then on St. James's Built largely between 1531 and 1536, St. James's House, as it was known, saw a succession of Palace was a residence of kings and queens of Royal inhabitants who lived there while playing England for over 300 years. It remains the their part in some of famous events in of the Sovereign, although, English history. since the accession of in 1837, the Sovereign has lived at . Henry VIII's second wife, , stayed High Commissioners present letters and there the night after her coronation. Before she Ambassadors are still formally accredited to the was discarded following the birth of Princess 68 Court of St. James's for this reason. (later Queen) Elizabeth, the initials HA entwined in a lovers' knot appeared on a couple of Tudor The palace was built by Henry VIII on the site of fireplaces in the State apartments. the Hospital of St. James, . Much survives of the red-brick building erected by It was in St. James's Palace in 1558 that Mary Henry VIII, including the , the Tudor signed the treaty surrendering Calais. gatehouse, some turrets and two surviving Tudor was resident during the threat posed rooms in the State apartments. by the Spanish Armada and set out from St

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James's to address her troops assembled at Court functions were still held in the State Tilbury, to the east of . apartments, which had been enlarged by and embellished by William The future Charles II and James II were both Kent. Some rooms were later partly redecorated born and baptised at St James's, as were Mary of by William Morris. Queen Victoria married York (Mary II), Anne of York (Queen Anne) and Prince Albert in the Chapel Royal in 1840, and James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old court levées continued to be held at St. James's Pretender). Palace until 1939.

After the destruction of the Palace of , The State Apartments of the Palace contain many all monarchs until William IV lived at St. beautiful items of furnishing. James's for part of the time. There are Mortlake tapestries ordered by Charles In 1809, much of the east and south ranges of the I as in the Old Presence Palace was destroyed by fire, but the State rooms Chamber, and a fine display of arms and armour were restored by 1813. At this time the Prince in the Armoury. Regent (later George IV) was living at , but four of his brothers were provided The State Apartments also contain an interesting with houses within the Palace walls. Frederick, range of Royal portraits from the time of Henry was given Godolphin House, now VIII, including important works by Mytens, Van , and William, Duke of Clarence Somer, Michael Wright and Wissing; portraits of (later William IV) was given , military and naval heroes painted for George IV today occupied by The Prince of Wales. by Reynolds and Hoppner; a portrait of George IV by Lawrence; and important battle pieces by William IV was the last Sovereign to use St. Wootton and George Jones. James's Palace as a residence. After his death, 69

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