Royals who live at St James’s Palace

Built largely between 1531 and 1536 by Henry VIII, behind the original red-brick building of St James’s Palace live senior members of the Royal Family. Currently, the home is the London residence of The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra. The Prince of Wales lives in nearby Clarence House.

Up until the autumn of 2017, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie shared an apartment within the palace. Their “apartment” isn’t comparable to any flat; most flats at the palace span four floors and have multiple bedrooms. Back in 2018, Eugenie moved to Kensington Palace with her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Since then, the pair have moved to Ivy Cottage, just minutes away from her cousin, the Duke of Cambridge, and his family.

The Princess Royal uses the palace as her official London residence when she is in and around the city for engagements. The Princess is known for consistently racking up the most royal duties of all. In 2017, she alone completed 540 engagements. In comparison, her brother, Prince Charles, completed 374 that year. When Anne isn’t in London, she lives at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire alongside her daughter Zara, and her husband, Mike Tindall.

Other royals who have called the palace home at one point in time include the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex. The two dukes lived at their father’s York House, which is contained within the palace walls. The Earl and Countess of Wessex also moved to the palace while their London home underwent refurbishments.

Besides being home to members of the Royal Family, The Chapel Royal within palace grounds has been used for numerous royal christenings including Prince George and Prince Louis of Cambridge. Archie, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, was also christened at the chapel. The christenings date back to the days of Charles II, James II, Mary of York (Mary II), Anne of York (Queen Anne), and James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender.) Other notable events on palace grounds include the engagement announcement of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

After the destruction of the Palace of Whitehall, all monarchs until William IV lived at the palace part-time. In 1809, much of the east and south ranges of the palace was destroyed by a fire. The staterooms did not get restored until 1813. William IV would be the last sovereign to use the palace as a residence. After his death, Court functions were still held in the State Apartments. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in the Chapel Royal in 1840. Additionally, court levées continued there until 1939.

Today, St James’s remained a busy working palace. The State Apartments are sometimes used for entertaining during in-coming State Visits and other formal occasions. This includes the 2021 G7 Summit, a global collective to create a more sustainable future. The Apartments also host receptions for charities in which members of the Royal Family are involved – approximately 100 a year to be exact.