Banqueting House or Whitehall Palace – Grade 1 listed building. It was the largest royal palace in Europe during King Henry VIII
Banqueting House is one of the popular London attractions. This Palace has a long Monarch history. It covered 23 acres and was the largest royal palace in Europe during King Henry VIII. Today it is preserved, due to its Grade I Listed status.
Banqueting House or Whitehall Palace history
In the 14th Century the site of Banqueting House originally owned by the Archbishops of York. It was called York Palace conveniently close to the Westminster Palace (at present Parliament House). In 1514 Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York extended York Palace. King Henry VIII took over this Palace when the relationship between him and Archbishop Wolsey broken down. He renamed it as Whitehall Palace.
In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I erected a large banqueting house on a temporary basis connected with her marriage negotiations with the Duke of Alençon. In 1606 James I of England and VI of Scotland (1602-25) decided to replace it with a permanent building. Built of brick and stone and completed in 1609, the new banqueting house had a large hall above a ground floor basement.
Banqueting House- Civil War and Execution place of King Charles I
The Banqueting House is probably most famous as the site of the execution of King Charles I. In 1649, after years of struggle between the authority of Parliament and the power of the King, which culminated in the Civil War (1642-9), Charles I was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. His last words were ‘I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be.
Due to government events and functions, this house cannot be kept open to the public for all time. So please check the website for updated information.
Banqueting House: Admission ticket price, opening hours
Admission Tickets: Adult (16+ years old): £6.50, Concessions (Full-time students, over 60s and disabled visitors) £5.50, Child (5 to 15 years old): Free, Buy tickets online for saving a bit. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Ticket included access to Banqueting House and A multi-language audio guide.
Opening Hours: Daily Monday-Sunday: 10am-5pm except for 24-26 December and 01 January. Last admission 4.30pm
Address Car Parking and Nearest Tube to Banqueting House
Address: Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ER. See the locations in Google Map
Telephone and Email: 020 3166 6155, 020 3166 6154, 020 3166 6152 Email [email protected]
Nearest Tube Train and Bus: Westminster station (Circle and District, Jubilee lines), Embankment station (Bakerloo, Circle and District, Northern lines). Train- Charing Cross station, Bus- Bus numbers 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 87, 88 and 159 call at bus stops near to the Banqueting House. Please visit the Journey Planner of Transport for London to see how to get here.
Car parking: No free parking at the premises. There a is metered car park nearby
Visit the website for more and update information. Visit other Royal Attractions and Landmarks situated nearby
London is one of the most visited cities in the world. Someone called it ‘the capital city of the world. London story is of 2000 years more. There are many attractions in London most of which are free attractions. 18th century’s writer Samuel Johnson said “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”.