St James's Palace: From Leper Hospital to Royal Court

Description

In this first modern history of St James's Palace, the authors shed new light on a remarkable building that, despite serving as the official residence of the British monarchy from 1698 to 1837, is by far the least known of the royal residences. The publication explores the role of the palace as home to the heir to the throne before 1714, its impact on the development of London and the West End during the late Stuart period and how, following the fire at the palace of Whitehall, St James's became the principal seat of the British monarchy in 1698. The book goes on to follow the fortunes of the palace through the Victorian, Edwardian and Elizabethan periods up to the present day.

Simon Thurley is a historian of royal palaces and the Tudor and Stuart courts. His publications include Houses of Power: The Places that Shaped the Tudor World and The Building of England. Rufus Bird is Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, Royal Collection Trust. He was co-editor of Charles II: Art & Power and a contributing author to The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy. Michael Turner is a former Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas for Historic England. He was a contributing author to Windsor Castle: A Thousand Years of a Royal Palace.