Banqueting House

London Attractions

Historic Royal Palaces - Originally the property of the Archbishops of York, The Banqueting House was used to provide entertainment for Charles I, and was later the scene of his execution.

After the fire that destroyed Whitehall Palace in 1698, it was used as a chapel until 1890. From 1896 until 1962 the Banquteing House was occupied by the Royal United Services Institute and used as a museum. Discover why these are unmissable sights at Banqueting House:

Charles I's Scaffold

On 30 January 1649, Charles I was executed just outside the Banqueting House, on a scaffold stage especially erected in Whitehall.

Rubens's Ceiling

The only surviving in-situ ceiling painting of Peter Paul Rubens is also one of the most famous from a golden age of painting.

The Undercroft

The vaulted undercroft of the Banqueting House was designed as a drinking den for King James I and his friends. Poet Ben Jonson, the Shakespeare of his day, wrote this dedication for the Banqueting House's undercroft as a drinking den in 1623:

Since Bacchus, thou art father
Of wines, to thee the rather
We dedicate this Cellar
Where now, thou art made Dweller

Please note - once booked, tickets are not refundable.

---

Show Calendar | Hide Calendar

---

Copyright © 2011 The Jolly Concierge