Saint-James Palace

St James's Palace, in London

St James's Palace is one of the oldest palaces of London, built by Henry VIII in the Tudor style. The London audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this history-laden royal residence, recognisable by its red bricks and its crenellated turrets.

The Tudor palace of Henry VIII

St James's Palace is one of the oldest palaces of London. It is King Henry VIII who had it built in 1532, integrating the very particular style of the Tudor era: red bricks, high chimneys, narrow doors and windows, crenellated turrets, which give it the appearance of a romantic fortified castle. For centuries, the palace was a leading royal residence and the centre of court life: it is there that numerous sovereigns lived and that major events of the history of the monarchy took place. Still today, although it is no longer the main residence of the sovereign, St James's Palace keeps an important protocol role: it is officially the Court of St James's to which the foreign ambassadors are accredited. Discreet but history-laden, sheltering the offices and apartments of members of the royal family, it testifies to the long continuity of the British monarchy. A jewel of Tudor architecture and a witness of royal history, St James's Palace is a fine stop of the discovery of London.

What to see

You admire one of the oldest palaces of London, built by Henry VIII in 1532 in the Tudor style, recognisable by its red bricks, its high chimneys and its crenellated turrets, long a royal residence and centre of court life, which keeps today a protocol role as the Court of St James's to which the ambassadors are accredited. St James's Palace is a Tudor jewel of London. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

St James's Palace lies near St James's Park and Buckingham, in London, reachable on foot. You admire its Tudor façade from outside; it is an official royal residence that generally cannot be visited. You discover it during a walk in the quarter.

Who built St James's Palace in London?

King Henry VIII, in 1532, in the Tudor style, recognisable by its red bricks, its high chimneys and its crenellated turrets; long a royal residence and centre of court life, it is one of the oldest palaces of London, which keeps today a protocol role as the Court of St James's.

Where is St James's Palace in London?

Near St James's Park and Buckingham, in London, in the United Kingdom.