Top 10 Sensational Facts about St. James’ Palace

St James’ Palace, London By Steve Cadman from London – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Sensational Facts about St. James’ Palace

While it may seem like another brick house, the St. James’ Palace is a historical landmark in the streets of London. The palace, which is still operating and used as a residence by many royal families, is the most senior royal palace. It has been around for centuries. Even though the royal activities shifted to the Buckingham palace, you can still see a meeting or two happening at St. James’ palace.

For over 300 years, the Kings and Queens of England lived in St. James’ Palace. The Tudor-style building has a lot of history in its construction and inhabitants, and there are many amazing facts about the place.

However, that is probably what most people know about St. James’ Palace. Here are the top 10 sensational facts about St. James’ Palace.

1. The Lion King borrowed from the palace

You are probably wondering what Simba and his family had to do with the palace. But remember that scene where Simba is born, and Rafiki lifts him over a cliff and shows him to other animals as the new prince of the pride lands?

Well, St. James’ Palace has a similar tradition. Whenever a new member ascends to the monarchy, the first announcement happens on the balcony of the St. James’ Palace

2. The palace has been around since the 1500s

A postcard showing the daily Guard Change in Friary Court, St. James’s Palace By Unknown Scanned by Leonard Bentley – Wikimedia Commons

The redbrick Tudor building has been around since 1531. Headed by King Henry VIII, the construction of St. James’ Palace started in 1531 and ended in 1536.

The construction site is where St. James Hospital once was. However, in 1809, the palace burnt down, destroying a significant part of the original designs.

After the fire, the palace underwent some remodeling. Nevertheless, most original Tudor works remain functional, such as the Chapel Royal, the gatehouse, parts of the staterooms, and some turrets.

3. It is full of happy and sad memories

Being one of the first palaces in England, the St. James’ Palace has seen many happy and sad moments experienced by the royal family. In 1536, the palace hosted the memorial service of King Henry’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy.

In 1558, Mary Tudor signed a treaty of surrender in the palace. Queen Elizabeth I set out to address threats made by the Spanish Armada from the St. James’ Palace. Also, Charles I had his last night in the palace, where he took communion.

There are also good memories associated with the palace. For instance, several monarchs hosted their birthdays and baptisms in the palace: Charles II, James II, James Francis, Edward Stuart, etc.

Many royal weddings also happened in the palace, including Queen Victoria and Prince Alberts, William and Mary, and George V and Queen Mary.

4. The palace has an armory

Guards at the St. James Palace By Helloworld314 – Wikimedia Commons

The St. James’ Palace remains open to tours and visits from tourists from all over the world. However, one thing you notice on your palace tour is the armory dedicated to palace guards. The palace armory has a museum that displays a collection of weapons collected since the 16^th century.

The weapons in the palace armory collection include swords, blades, targets, pistols, rifles, etc. You can even see one of the pistol-fitted shields from the 16^th century in the weapons museum.

5. HA on the left, H on the right

King Henry intended the St. James’ Palace to be his quiet place, away from all the court duty. Alongside him, Anne Boleyn, his second wife, was to live with him in the palace. So, during construction, many HA initials were imprinted on a couple of fireplaces in the palace.

However, by the time the construction of the fireplace was complete, Anne was no longer alive, having lost her head in an execution. Therefore, the right side of the fireplace only contains the initial H for Henry.

6. Rich State Apartments

St. James Palace By Elisa Rolle – Wikimedia Commons

Part of the significant areas in St. James’ Palace is the State Apartments. These sections were among the most adversely affected areas when the fire in 1809 broke out. As a result, the remodeled parts are newer than most parts of the palace.

During their remodeling, materials used in remaking the State Apartments are not your regular selection. The houses feature precious minerals, including gold-gilded chandeliers, malachite vases, silver tapestries, and marble-carved tables.

However, the Monarch’s apartment had no remodeling after the fire, hence their less-shiny appeal.

7. The palace is a court

Upon its construction, the St. James’ Palace was to be a retreat center for Henry VIII. However, when the Palace of Whitehall burnt down in 1691, the court moved to St. James’ Palace.

While serving as a court, the St. James’ Palace also functioned as the primary residence of King George III. That was until he bought the Buckingham Palace, then known as the Buckingham house.

Even after moving out of St. James’ Palace, the palace remained the host to the court, so now, you get admitted to the Court of St. James when you become an ambassador to the UK.

8. The palace is named after a disciple of Jesus

When Henry VIII built the palace, it would be more personal if he named it after himself. However, the grounds on which the palace sits were once the home to a leper hospital.

The hospital was dedicated to one of Christ’s disciples called James. However, Jesus had 2 disciples called James;

1. James, the son of Zebedee
2. James, Son of Alpheus

The palace is dedicated to James, the son of Zebedee, the younger of the two, hence the name James the Less.

9. Isolated nursery

During the times when modern medicine was a long pipe dream, mothers and families took measures to keep their babies alive. The royal family was no different, with their isolated nursery. Child mortality was not a favored occurrence because it did not respect the class or wealth of the royal family.

The royal nursery existed in isolation at St. James Park like the leper hospital. There were no exterior visits allowed here and no ground floor windows to keep away any infections. A small gatehouse was the only way in or out of the nursery.

10. The palace park

Buckingham Palace as seen from across St James’ Park, looking to the west By Ozeye – Wikimedia Commons

St. James’ Palace has an adjacent St. James’s Park, which is a project completed by King Charles II during the remodeling of the St. James’ Palace. This park is now home to Newcastle United FC and is the 8^th-largest football field in England.

There you have it ! 10 sensational facts about St. James Palace, hopefully you learnt something new and exciting from the list.