St James’s Palace: George II’s and Queen Caroline’s Principal London Residence

Abstract

The principal London residence of George II (1683–1760) and of his consort Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683–1737) was St james’s Palace, a building which had grown in irregular stages before and after it became the monarchy’s metropolitan headquarters after the Palace of Whitehall burned down in 1698. In the mid-eighteenth century, St james’s was much criticised as an inappropriate residence for the kings of Great Britain. Nevertheless, the palace remained at the centre of London’s cultural life until Queen Caroline died in 1737. This study explores the architectural history of St james’s — in particular during the first decade of George II’s reign—and the extent to which the palace responded to the requirements of the early Hanoverian court. It further deals with the disparagement to which this royal residence was subject in the 1740S and 1750S, and examines why George II never attempted either to improve or replace it with a more sumptuous structure.

Notes

* This article is based on my MA dissertation, which greatly benefited from the help of many individuals. I am particularly grateful for the advice and support of my friends, colleagues and supervisors at the Royal Collection, including especially Jonathan Marsden, Sir Hugh Roberts, Lucy Whitaker, Dr Kate Heard, Kathryn Jones, Lauren Porter, David Oakey and Katie Holyoak. I also owe much gratitude to Dr Bernd Adam, Daniel Costelloe, Dr Jarl Kremeier, Dr Joanna Marschner, Virginia Rounding, and Dr Simon Thurley for their invaluable guidance. and encouragement. I would further like to thank Dr Stephen Astley, HRH Prince Heinrich of Hanover, Count Gebhard von Hardenberg, John Harris, Professor Hellmut Lorenz, Dr Philip Mansel, Dr Lee Prosser, and Professor David Watkin for their particularly helpful assistance. Finally, I owe many thanks to my MA tutor Dr Christine Stevenson, not only for her dedicated supervision, but also for her enlightening teaching. Most importantly I want to thank my parents, who always support me wherever they can. I dedicate this small work to them, and to the memory of my late grandmother, Luise von Rauch (1908-2008), who was the first person to introduce me to the intricacies of the Personal Union between Great Britain and Hanover when I was a child.