St James’s Palace opens to public for first time in 500 years

St James’s Palace, the official seat of England’s Royal Court, is opening to the public for the first time in its 500-year history

Small, guided groups will be able to tour the historical building – a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace – between April and May 2025.

A small number of tickets costing £85 per person went on sale this week and have already sold out.

St James’s was built in the early 1500s on the orders of King Henry VIII, and remains the most senior royal palace in London.

While no monarch lives at the palace, it retains a ceremonial function and has been the setting for some of the most important events in English Royal history.

It was where Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, where Mary Tudor signed the treaty surrendering Calais in 1558 and later died, and where King Charles III was formally named monarch.

Charles II and James II were also born there, as were Mary II, Queen Anne and James Francis Edward Stuart.

And most recently, the palace was used for the christening of Prince Louis in 2018.

Its State Apartments are also used for entertaining visiting heads of state, while it is also the headquarters of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Chapel Royal, the Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard, and the King’s Watermen.

Unlike other royal residences, such as Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace, it has remained closed to the public until now.

The Royal Collection Trust, a charity that conserves Royal residences through ticket sales, said guided tours last for 90 minutes, adding that no photography – or toilet stops – are allowed in its grounds.

It said: “From its origins as a residence for Henry VIII to its status today as the official seat of the British monarchy, St James’s Palace is steeped in 500 years of fascinating royal history.

“Your guide will lead you through the State Apartments as you discover the history of the Palace and hear the stories of its royal residents and the significant events that have taken place within its walls. 

“Highlights of the tour will include views of the surviving Tudor architecture, such as the Chapel Royal, Colour Court and the gatehouse; paintings, furniture and decorative arts from the Royal Collection; and the Throne Room and Picture Gallery where the Accession Council of King Charles III was held on 10 September 2022.”

Images courtesy The Royal Collection Trust/The Royal Family