Palace of Whitehall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Palace of Whitehall
The Old Palace of Whitehall by Hendrick Danckerts, c. 1675. The view is from the west, in St. James's Park. The Horse Guards barracks are on the extreme left, with the taller Banqueting House behind it. The four-towered building left of centre is the palace gatehouse, the "Holbein Gate".
Location	City of Westminster, Middlesex, Kingdom of England
Built	c. 1240, 15–17th cent.
Demolished	1698 (due to fire)
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The Palace of Whitehall was a very important royal home in London. English kings and queens lived there from 1530 until 1698. Most of the palace was destroyed by a big fire. Only the Banqueting House, built by Inigo Jones in 1622, survived.

Before the fire, Whitehall Palace was the biggest palace in Europe. It had more than 1,500 rooms! At one point, it was even the largest building in the world. Today, the name "Whitehall" refers to the street where many UK government buildings stand. It can also mean the central government itself.

History of Whitehall Palace

The Palace of Whitehall became an official royal palace in 1530. This was when Henry VIII was the King of England. King Henry VIII made many changes to the palace. He added fun places for recreation.

Royal Recreation and Sports

King Henry VIII built a special recreation center at the palace. It had a bowling green for games. There were also tennis courts. A pit for cock fighting was included, which is now the site of 70 Whitehall. He also had a tiltyard for jousting. Jousting was a sport where knights on horseback fought with lances.

Henry VIII's Life at Whitehall

King Henry VIII spent a lot of money on the palace. It is thought he spent over £30,000 in the 1540s. This was a huge amount of money at the time. He married two of his wives at the palace. He married Anne Boleyn in 1533. Later, he married Jane Seymour there in 1536. King Henry VIII also died at the Palace of Whitehall. After his reign, other monarchs used the palace less often.

The Great Fire of Whitehall

The Palace of Whitehall was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1698. Many parts of the palace were made of wood. These wooden structures were quickly burned in the blaze. It is believed that Michelangelo's famous statue, Cupid, was lost in the fire.

After the fire, the few remaining parts of the palace were torn down. The palace was never rebuilt. Today, the area where the palace once stood is home to many government buildings. The Banqueting House is the only part of the original palace that still stands.

Images for kids

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  Inigo Jones's plan, dated 1638, for a new palace at Whitehall. Only a small part of this plan was ever built.

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  A map showing the layout of Whitehall Palace in 1680.

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  Part of a plan by Christopher Wren from 1698. He proposed rebuilding the palace, but it never happened.

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  Henry VIII's Wine Cellar, which still exists today.

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  Queen Mary's Steps, part of the old Palace of Whitehall.

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  The Banqueting House in London. This is the only building left from the original Palace of Whitehall.

See also

In Spanish: Palacio de Whitehall para niños