Palace of Whitehall

The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones' 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire. Before the fire it had grown to be the largest palace in Europe, with over 1,500 rooms.

History

By the 13th century, the Palace of Westminster had become the centre of government in England, and had been the main London residence of the king since 1049. The surrounding area became a very popular — and expensive — location. Walter de Grey, the Archbishop of York bought a property in the area soon after 1240, calling it York Place.

Related Topics:
Palace of Westminster - Government - England - 1049 - Walter de Grey - Archbishop of York - 1240

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Edward I of England stayed at the property on several occasions while work was carried out at Westminster, and enlarged the building to accommodate his entourage. York Place was rebuilt during the 15th century and expanded so much by Cardinal Wolsey that it was rivaled by only Lambeth Palace as the greatest house in London, the King's London palaces included. Consequently when King Henry VIII removed the cardinal from power in 1530, he acquired York Place to replace Westminster as his main London residence.

Related Topics:
Edward I of England - Cardinal Wolsey - Lambeth Palace - King Henry VIII - Cardinal - 1530

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Henry VIII subsequently redesigned York Place, and further extended and rebuilt the palace during his lifetime. Inspired by Richmond Palace, he also included a recreation centre with a bowling green, tennis courts, a pit for cock fighting (now the site of 10 Downing Street) and a tiltyard for jousting. It is estimated that over 30,000 pounds were spent during the 1540s, 50% more than the construction of the entire Bridewell Palace.

Related Topics:
Richmond Palace - Bowling - Tennis - Cock fighting - 10 Downing Street - Jousting - Pounds - Bridewell Palace

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James I made a few significant changes to the buildings, notably the construction in 1622 of a new Banqueting House built to a design by Inigo Jones to replace a series of previous banqueting houses dating from the time of Elizabeth I. Its decoration was finished in 1634 with the completion a ceiling by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, commissioned by Charles I (who was to be executed in front of the building in 1649). By 1650 the Palace was the largest complex of secular buildings in England, with over 1,500 rooms. The layout was extremely irregular and the constituent parts were of many different sizes and in several different architectural styles. The palace looked more like a small town than a single building.

Related Topics:
James I - 1622 - Banqueting House - Inigo Jones - Elizabeth I - 1634 - Peter Paul Rubens - Charles I - 1649 - 1650

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Charles II commissioned minor works. Like his father, he died at the Palace — though from a stroke, not execution. James II ordered various changes by Sir Christopher Wren, including a new chapel finished in 1687, rebuilding of the queen's apartments (1688?), and the queen's private lodgings (1689).

Related Topics:
Charles II - Stroke - James II - Christopher Wren - 1687 - 1688 - 1689

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