Whitehall (original) (raw)

The area known as Whitehall was formerly an enormous royal palace, the largest in Europe and bigger than the Vatican and Versailles. Little of it is now visible and the remains of the palace exist underneath the buildings that make up the heart of the British Government. Mostly rebuilt by Henry VIII, it was where the infamous king celebrated his marriage to Anne Boleyn in 1533 and Jane Seymour in 1536. The six times married monarch died here in 1547. The palace continued to be expanded, with the addition of a Banqueting House for royal masques and balls during the reign of James I. the entire palace was burnt to the ground in 1698. According to legend, the blaze was caused by careless actions of a Dutch laundry woman. Only the impressive Banqueting House survives to this day. The modern Whitehall has developed piece- meal around the shell of the old palace and is famous today for being the location of many government offices, including the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office.