Westminster, St. James’s, and Royal London

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Getting Oriented | Westminster | St. James’s

Updated by James O’Neill

This is postcard London at its best. Crammed with historic churches, grand state buildings, and major art collections, Royal London and Westminster unite politics, high culture, and religion. (Oh, and the Queen lives here, too.) The places you’ll want to explore are grouped into four distinct areas—Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, St. James’s, and Buckingham Palace—each nudging a corner of triangular St. James’s Park. Happily, there is as much history in these few acres as in many whole cities, so pace yourself—this is concentrated sightseeing.

Getting Oriented

Top Reasons to Go

Time-Burnished Westminster Abbey: This sublime Gothic church was not only the site of Prince William’s 2011 marriage but has also seen 38 hallowed coronations, starting with William the Conqueror in 1066.

Calling on Buckingham Palace: Even if you miss the palace’s summer opening, keep pace with the marching soldiers and bands as they enact the time-honored ceremony of the “Changing the Guard” in front of the residence of Her Majesty.

Masterpieces Theater: Leonardo, Raphael, Van Eyck, Rembrandt, and many other artistic greats are shown off in the splendor of gorgeously renovated rooms at the National Gallery.

Relive Britain’s “Finest Hour” in the Churchill War Rooms: Listen to Churchill’s radio addresses to the British people as you explore this cavernous underground wartime hideout.

Hear Big Ben’s chimes: As the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, so is Big Ben to London—just follow your ears from Trafalgar Square to catch sight of the 320-foot-high Clock Tower.

Feeling Peckish?

Gordon’s Wine Bar.
The oldest wine bar in London (1890), Gordon’s is certainly the most atmospheric, hidden below ground among vaulted brick arches and bathed in candlelight. Reasonably priced, it also serves an excellent buffet of meat, pies, and cheeses. | 47 Villiers St., Trafalgar Sq. | WC2N 6NE | 020/7930–1408 | www.gordonswinebar.com | Station: Embankment, Charing Cross.

Inn the Park.
Great food, drink, and location—what more could you want? Inn the Park is the perfect place to while away an hour or three, especially on the terrace in the summer. | St. James’s Park, St. James’s | SW1A 2BJ | 020/7747–5942 | www.innthepark.com | Station: St. James’s Park.

Getting There

Trafalgar Square is easy to access and smack-dab in the center of the action. Take the Tube to Embankment (Northern, Bakerloo, District, and Circle lines) and walk north until you cross the Strand, or alight at the Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) Northumberland Avenue exit. Buses are another great option, as almost all roads lead to Trafalgar Square.

Two tube stations are right in the heart of St. James’s: Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly or Bakerloo lines), and Green Park (Piccadilly, Victoria, or Jubilee lines).

Making the Most of Your Time

A lifetime of exploring may still be insufficient to cover this historically rich part of London. But don’t fret: two to three days can take in the highlights.

For royal pageantry begin with Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Guards Museum. For more constitutional sightseeing, there are the Houses of Parliament. For art, the National Gallery, the Tate Britain, and the Queen’s Gallery head anyone’s list.

Nearest Public Restrooms

If you get caught short in Westminster Abbey, paid loos (£1.50) are across the street at the bottom of Victoria Street. Banqueting House and the Queen’s Gallery have very elegant restrooms.

Westminster, St. James’s and Royal London

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Westminster

Erstwhile home to London’s most photogenic pigeons, Trafalgar Square is not only the official center of the district known as Westminster, it is the official center of London. What will bring you here are the two magnificent museums on the northern edge of the square, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. From the square two boulevards lead to the seats of different ideas of governance. The avenue called Whitehall drops south to the neo-Gothic Houses of Parliament, where members of both Houses (Commons and Lords) hold debates and vote on pending legislation, and, just opposite, Westminster Abbey, a monument to the nation’s history and for centuries the scene of daily worship, coronations, and royal weddings—the latter gives this area its official name of Westminster. Poets, political leaders, and 17 monarchs are buried in this world-famous, 13th-century Gothic building. Halfway down Whitehall, No. 10 Downing Street is both the residence and the office of the prime minister. One of the most celebrated occupants, Winston Churchill, is commemorated in the Churchill War Rooms, his underground wartime headquarters off Whitehall. Just down the road is the Cenotaph, which acts as a focal point for the annual remembrance of those lost in war.

The Mall, a wide, elegant avenue beyond the stone curtain of Admiralty Arch, heads southwest from Trafalgar Square toward the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace, the sovereign’s official residence. The building is open to the public only in summer, but you can see much of the royal art collection in the Queen’s Gallery and spectacular ceremonial coaches in the Royal Mews, both open all year. Farther south toward Pimlico, Tate Britain focuses on prominent British artists from 1500 to today.

Geographically speaking, Westminster runs from Trafalgar Square to Westminster Abbey (east to west) and from Buckingham Palace and the Mall (north) to the Thames (south).

This area can be considered “Royal London” partly because it is neatly bounded by the triangle of streets that make up the route that Queen Elizabeth II usually takes when processing from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey or to the Houses of Parliament on state occasions, and also because it contains so much that is historic and magnificent in British history. Naturally, in an area that regularly sees the pomp and pageantry of royal occasions, the streets are wide and the vistas long. There is a feeling here of timeless dignity—long avenues of ancient trees framing classically proportioned buildings, constant glimpses of pinnacles and towers over the treetops, the distant throb of military bands on the march, the statues of resolute kings, queens, and statesmen standing guard at every corner, the deep tones of Big Ben counting off the hours. The main drawback to sightseeing here is that half the world is doing it at the same time as you. So, remember that for a large part of the year a lot of Royal London is floodlit at night (when there’s more elbow-room), adding to the theatricality of the experience.

A Brief History of Westminster

The Romans may have gunned for The City, but England’s royals went for Westminster. London’s future home of democracy started out as Edward the Confessor’s palace, when he moved his cramped court west in the 11th century. He founded Westminster Abbey in 1050, where every British monarch since then has been crowned. Under the Normans, the palace of Westminster was an elaborate and French-speaking affair. The politicos finally got their hands on it in 1529 (when Henry VII and his court shifted up to the roomier Whitehall Palace), but nearly lost it forever with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Catholic militants attempted to blow the prototypical Parliament to smithereens.

Inigo Jones’s magnificent Banqueting House is the only surviving building of Whitehall Palace, and was the setting for the 1649 beheading of Charles I. The Westminster we see today took shape during the Georgian and Victorian periods, as Britain reached the zenith of its imperial power. Grand architecture sprang up, and Buckingham Palace became the principal royal residence in 1837, when Victoria acceded to the throne. Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column were built in 1843, to commemorate Britain’s most famous naval victory, and the Houses of Parliament were rebuilt in 1858 in the trendy neo-Gothic style of the time. The illustrious Clarence House, built in 1825 for the Duke of Clarence (later William IV), is now the home of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Top Attractions

FAMILY | Churchill War Rooms.
It was from this small warren of underground rooms—beneath the vast government buildings of the Treasury—that Winston Churchill and his team directed troops in World War II. Designed to be bombproof, the whole complex has been preserved almost exactly as it was when the last light was turned off at the end of the war. Every clock shows almost 5 pm, and the furniture, fittings, and paraphernalia of a busy, round-the-clock war office are in situ, down to the colored map pins.

During air raids, the leading government ministers met here, and the Cabinet Room is still arranged as if a meeting were about to convene. In the Map Room, the Allied campaign is charted on wall-to-wall maps with a rash of pinholes showing the movements of convoys. It really is the stuff out of Boy’s Own stories. In the hub of the room, a bank of different-color phones known as the “Beauty Chorus” linked the War Rooms to control rooms around the nation. The Prime Minister’s Room holds the desk from which Churchill made his morale-boosting broadcasts; the Telephone Room (a converted broom cupboard) has his hotline to FDR. You can also see the restored suite of rooms that the PM used for dining and sleeping. Telephonists and clerks who worked 16-hour shifts slept in lesser quarters in unenviable conditions; it would not have been unusual for a secretary in pajamas to scurry past a field marshal en route to a meeting.

A great addition to the War Rooms is the Churchill Museum, a tribute to the stirring politician and defiant wartime icon himself. Different zones explore his life and achievements—and failures, too—through objects and documents, many of which, such as his personal papers, had never previously been made public. Most popular with children is the 50-foot long interactive Lifeline, which explores the man and his times in an informative but fun way. | Clive Steps, King Charles St., Westminster | SW1A 2AQ | 020/7930–6961 | www.iwm.org.uk | £17 (includes audio guide) | Daily 9:30–6; last admission 5; disabled access | Station: Westminster.

Downing Street.
Looking like an unassuming alley but for the iron gates at both its Whitehall and Horse Guards Road approaches, this is the location of the famous No. 10, London’s modest equivalent of the White House. The Georgian entrance is deceptive, though, since the old house now leads to a large mansion behind it, overlooking the Horse Guards Parade. Only three houses remain of the terrace built circa 1680 by Sir George Downing, who spent enough of his youth in America to graduate from Harvard—the second man ever to do so. No. 11 is traditionally the residence of the chancellor of the exchequer (secretary of the treasury), and No. 12 is the party whips’ office. No. 10 has officially housed the prime minister since 1732. Just south of Downing Street, in the middle of Whitehall, you’ll see the Cenotaph, a stark white monolith designed in 1920 by Sir Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the 1918 armistice. On Remembrance Day (the Sunday nearest November 11, Armistice Day) it’s strewn with red poppy wreaths to honor the dead of both world wars and all British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in action since; the first wreath is laid by the Queen or the senior member of the Royal Family present, and there’s a march-past by war veterans, who salute their fallen comrades. | Whitehall | SW1A 1AA | Station: Westminster.

FAMILY | Horse Guards Parade.
Following its brief transformation into the beach volleyball arena for the 2012 Olympics, the Horse Guards Parade is most known for the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, in which the Queen takes the salute, her official birthday tribute, on the second Saturday in June. (Like Paddington Bear, the Queen has two birthdays; her real one is on April 21.) In what was once the tiltyard for jousting tournaments, there is still pageantry galore, with marching bands and throngs of onlookers, and the ceremony is televised. Throughout the rest of the year the changing of two mounted sentries known as the Queen’s Life Guard at the Whitehall facade of Horse Guards provides what may be London’s most popular photo opportunity. The ceremony last about half an hour. | Whitehall | SW1A 2AX | 020/7930–4832 | Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard at 11 am Mon.–Sat. and 10 am Sun.; inspection of the Queen’s Life Guard daily at 4 pm | Station: Westminster.

Houses of Parliament.
If you want to understand some of the centuries-old traditions and arcane idiosyncrasies that make up constitutionless British parliamentary democracy, the Palace of Westminster, as the complex is still properly called, is the place to come. The architecture in this 1,100-room labyrinth impresses, but the real excitement lies in stalking the corridors of power. A palace was first established on this site by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century. William II started building a new palace in 1087, and this gradually became the seat of English administrative power. However, fire destroyed most of the palace in 1834, and the current complex dates largely from the middle of the 19th century.

Houses of Parliament Highlights

Visitors aren’t allowed to snoop too much, but the Visitors’ Galleries of the House of Commons do afford a view of democracy in process when the banks of green-leather benches are filled by opposing MPs (members of Parliament). When they speak, it’s not directly to each other but through the Speaker, who also decides who will get time on the floor. Elaborate procedures notwithstanding, debate is often drowned out by raucous jeers. When MPs vote, they exit by the “Aye” or the “No” corridor, thus being counted by the party “tellers.” There are also Visitors Galleries for The House of Lords, which does not have the power to generate legislation, although it plays a role in scrutiny.

Westminster Hall, with its remarkable hammer-beam roof, was the work of William the Conqueror’s son William Rufus. It’s one of the largest remaining Norman halls in Europe.

After the 1834 fire, the Clock Tower—renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012, in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee—was completed in 1858, and contains the 13-ton bell known as Big Ben.

Houses of Parliament Tips

St. Stephen’s Entrance, St. Margaret St., Westminster | SW1 0AA | 020/7219–4272 Information, 0844/847–1672 Public Tours | www.parliament.uk/visiting | Free; tours £15 (must book ahead) | Tours: Aug., Mon., Tues., Fri., and Sat. 9:15–4:30, Wed. and Thurs. 1:15–4:30; Sept., Mon., Fri., and Sat. 9:15–4:30, Tues., Wed., and Thurs. 1:15–4:30. Call to confirm hrs for Visitors Galleries | Station: Westminster.

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | National Gallery.
Standing proudly on the north side of Trafalgar Square, this is truly one of the world’s supreme art collections, with more than 2,300 masterpieces on show. Picasso, van Gogh, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Monet, Turner, and more—all for free. Watch out for special temporary exhibitions, too.

National Gallery Highlights

This brief selection is your jumping-off point, but there are hundreds of other paintings to see, enough to fill a full day. In chronological order: (1) Van Eyck (circa 1395–1441), The Arnolfini Portrait—a solemn couple holds hands, the fish-eye mirror behind them mysteriously illuminating what can’t be seen from the front view. (2) Holbein (1497–1543), The Ambassadors—two wealthy visitors from France stand surrounded by what were considered luxury goods at the time. Note the elongated skull at the bottom of the painting, which takes shape when viewed from an angle. (3) Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), The Virgin and Child—this exquisite black-chalk “Burlington Cartoon” depicts the master’s most haunting Mary. (4) Velazquez (1599–1660), Christ in the House of Martha and Mary—in this enigmatic masterpiece the Spaniard plays with perspective and the role of the viewer. (5) Turner (1775–1851), Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway, the whirl of rain, mist, steam, and locomotion is nothing short of astonishing (spot the hare). (6) Caravaggio (1573–1610), The Supper at Emmaus—a freshly resurrected Christ blesses bread in an astonishingly domestic vision from the master of chiaroscuro. (7) Van Gogh (1853–90), Sunflowers—painted during his sojourn with Gauguin in Arles, this is quintessential Van Gogh. (8) Seurat (1859–91), Bathers at Asnières—this summer day’s idyll is one of the pointillist extraordinaire’s best-known works.

National Gallery Tips

Trafalgar Sq., Westminster | WC2N 5DN | 020/7747–2885 | www.nationalgallery.org.uk | Free; charge for special exhibitions; audio guide £3.50 | Sun.–Thurs. 10–6, Fri. 10–9 | Station: Charing Cross, Embankment, Leicester Sq.

Quick Bites: Notes Music and Coffee.
Next door to the London Coliseum (home of the English National Opera), this hip café serves some of the best sandwiches, salads, and coffee in town. Keep an eye out for their popular jazz nights. | 31 St. Martin’s La., Westminster | WC2N 4ER | 020/7240–0424 | www.notes-uk.co.uk | Station: Charing Cross.

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | National Portrait Gallery.
Tucked around the corner from the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856 with a single aim: to gather together portraits of famous (and infamous) British men and women. More than 150 years and 160,000 portraits later, it is an essential stop for all history and literature buffs. The spacious galleries make it a pleasant place to visit, and you can choose to take in a little or a lot. Need to rest those legs? Then use the Portrait Explorer in the Digital Space on the ground-floor mezzanine for interactive, computer-aided exploration of the gallery’s extensive collection. If you visit with little ones, ask at the desk about the excellent Family Trails, which make exploring the galleries with children much more fun. On the top floor, the Portrait Restaurant (check website for details) will delight skyline aficionados. TIP The restaurant vista will reveal stately London at its finest: a panoramic view of Nelson’s Column and the backdrop along Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament.

Galleries are arranged clearly and chronologically, from Tudor times to contemporary Britain. In the Tudor Gallery—a modern update on a Tudor long hall—is a Holbein cartoon of Henry VIII. Joshua Reynolds’s self-portrait hangs in the refurbished 17th-century rooms. Portraits of notables, including Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, and the Queen are always on display. Other faces are more obscure because the portraits outlasted their sitters’ fame—not so surprising when the portraitists are such greats as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Lawrence, and Hockney. Look for the four Andy Warhol Queen Elizabeth II silkscreens from 1985 and Maggi Hambling’s surreal self-portrait. Contemporary portraits range from the iconic (Julian with T-shirt—an LCD screen on a continuous loop—by Julian Opie) to the creepy (Marc Quinn’s Self, a realization of the artist’s head in frozen blood) and the eccentric (Tim Noble’s ghoulish Head of Isabella Blow). Temporary exhibitions can be explored in the ground-floor Wolfson and Porter galleries. | St. Martin’s Pl., Westminster | WC2H 0HE | 020/7312–2463, 020/730–0555 recorded switchboard information | www.npg.org.uk | Free; charge for special exhibitions; audiovisual guide £3 | Mon.–Wed. and weekends 10–6, Thurs. and Fri. 10–9; last admission 1 hr before closing | Station: Charing Cross, Leicester Sq.

FAMILY | St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
One of London’s best-loved and most welcoming of churches is more than just a place of worship. Named after the saint who helped beggars, St Martin’s has long been a welcome sight for the homeless, who have sought soup and shelter at the church since 1914. The church is also a haven for music lovers; the internationally known Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields was founded here, and a popular program of concerts continues today. (Although the interior is a wonderful setting for a recital, beware the hard wooden benches!) The crypt is a hive of activity, with a popular café and shop, plus the London Brass-Rubbing Centre, where you can make your own life-size souvenir knight, lady, or monarch from replica tomb brasses, with metallic waxes, paper, and instructions from about £5. Also watch out for a new alfresco café set to open in summer 2013.

St. Martin’s is often called the royal parish church, partly because Charles II was christened here. Originally a small medieval chapel (probably used by the monks of Westminster Abbey), the 18th century saw the church get a major revamp: completed in 1726, James Gibbs’s classical temple-with-spire design also became a familiar pattern for churches in early colonial America. Though it has to compete for attention with Trafalgar Square’s many prominent structures, St. Martin-in-the-Fields manages to do just fine. | Trafalgar Sq., Westminster | WC2N 4CC | 020/7766–1100, 020/7839–8362 brass rubbings, 020/7766–1122 evening-concert credit-card bookings | www.smitf.org | Free; concerts £7–£30 | Open all day for worship; sightseeing: Mon., Tues., and Fri. 8:30–1 and 2–6; Wed. 8:30–1:15 and 2–5; Thurs. 8:30–1.15 and 2–6; Sat. 9:30–6; Sun. 9:30–5 | Station: Charing Cross, Leicester Sq.

Quick Bites: The atmospheric St. Martin’s Café in the Crypt, with its magnificent high-arched brick vault and gravestone floor, serves full English and continental breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, snacks, afternoon tea, and wine. Lunch and dinner options include vegetarian meals and the setting, at the heart of London, is superb.

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Tate Britain.
The stately neoclassical institution may not be as ambitious as its sibling Tate Modern on the South Bank, but Tate Britain’s bright galleries lure only a fraction of the Modern’s crowds and are a great place to explore British art from 1500 to the present. First opened in 1897, funded by the sugar magnate Sir Henry Tate, the museum includes the Linbury Galleries on the lower floors, which stage temporary exhibitions, whereas the upper floors show the permanent collection. From early 2014, much more of the Tate’s collection will be on permanent display as part of a major re-development of the galleries. So you’ll have no excuse not to pop in and view classic works by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, David Wilkie, Francis Bacon, Duncan Grant, Barbara Hepworth, and Ben Nicholson and an outstanding display from J.M.W. Turner in the Clore Gallery, including many later vaporous and light-infused works such as Sunrise with Sea Monsters. Sumptuous Pre-Raphaelite pieces are a major drawcard while the Contemporary British Art galleries bring you face to face with Damien Hirst’s Away from the Flock and other recent conceptions. The Tate Britain also hosts the annual Turner Prize exhibition, with its accompanying furor over the state of contemporary art, from about October to January each year. Details of activities for families are on the website.

TIP Craving more art? Head down the river on the Tate to Tate (£5.50 one way) to the Tate Modern, running between the two museums every 40 minutes. A River Roamer ticket (£13.60) permits a day’s travel, with stops including the London Eye and the Tower of London. | Millbank, Westminster | SW1P 4RG | 020/7887–8888 | www.tate.org.uk/britain | Free, special exhibitions £9–£15 | Sat.–Thurs. 10–6 (last entry at 5:15), Fri. 10–10 (last entry at 9:15) | Station: Pimlico.

Quick Bites: Rex Whistler Restaurant.
Due to re-open in mid-2013 following a major refurbishment, this restaurant, in the Tate Britain, is almost a destination in itself, with its celebrated Rex Whistler murals and a daily fixed-price three-course lunch menu (under £25) as well as à la carte choices. Ingredients celebrate British produce, such as Cornish crab, Welsh lamb, Scottish smoked salmon, and Stilton cheese. It also offers a legendary wine list. Open for lunch and afternoon tea daily; breakfast is served on weekends from 10 to 11:30. | Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster | SW1P 4RG | 020/7887–8825.

Manton Café at Tate Britain. Drinks, sandwiches, and cakes are available daily from 10 am to 5 pm. | Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster | SW1P 4RG | 020/7887–8825.

Trafalgar Square.
This is literally the center of London: a plaque on the corner of the Strand and Charing Cross Road marks the spot from which distances on U.K. signposts are measured. Nelson’s Column stands at the heart of the square (which is named after the great admiral’s most important victory), guarded by haughty lions designed by Sir Edwin Landseer and flanked by statues of Charles Napier and Henry Havelock, two generals who helped establish the British Empire in India. The fourth plinth is given over to rotating works by contemporary artists. The square is a magnet for national celebrations and protests—V.E. Day, New Year’s Eve, sporting triumphs, political demonstrations—and is, thankfully, more pleasant to visit since the pedestrianization of its northern side. Although Chinese tourists know it as Pigeon Square, feeding the birds is now banned and the gray flocks have flown.

In the 13th century, the site housed birds of a different kind: the royal hawks and falcons. Come 1530, those buildings had been replaced by the “Great Mews” (the royal stables) which in turn were demolished in 1830 as part of John Nash’s Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. Nash envisioned the square as a cultural public space and exploited its natural north–south incline to create a succession of high points from which to look down upon the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. Upon Nash’s death, the work continued under Sir Charles Barry and then Sir Edwin Lutyens, with the square finally completed in 1850.

At the southern point of the square, en route to Whitehall, is the equestrian statue of Charles I. After the Civil War and the king’s execution, Oliver Cromwell, the anti-Royalist leader, commissioned a scrap dealer, brazier John Rivett, to melt the statue. The story goes that Rivett buried it in his garden and made a fortune peddling knickknacks wrought, he claimed, from its metal, only to produce the statue miraculously unscathed after the restoration of the monarchy—and to make more cash reselling it to the authorities. In 1667 Charles II had it placed where it stands today, near the spot where his father was executed in 1649. Each year, on January 30, the day of the king’s death, the Royal Stuart Society lays a wreath at the foot of the statue. | Westminster | WC2N 5DN | Station: Charing Cross.

Fodor’s Choice | Westminster Abbey.
A monument to the nation’s rich—and often bloody—history, the abbey is one of London’s most iconic sites. The atmospheric gloom of the lofty medieval interior is home to more than 600 statues, tombs, and commemorative tablets. About 3,300 people, from kings to composers to wordsmiths, are buried in the abbey. It has hosted 38 coronations—beginning in 1066 with William the Conqueror—and no fewer than 16 royal weddings, the latest being that of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

But be warned: there’s only one way around the abbey, and as a million visitors flock through its doors each year, you’ll need to be alert to catch the highlights. Enter by the north door then turn around and look up to see the painted-glass rose window, the largest of its kind. Step into the small Chapel of St. Michael, where a tomb effigy of Joseph Gascoigne Nightingale fights off a sheet-draped figure of death. Next enter the adjacent Tomb of St. John the Baptist past a lovely statue of the Virgin Mary and child.

As you walk east toward the apse you’ll see the Coronation Chair, at the foot of the Henry VII Chapel, which has been briefly graced by nearly every regal posterior since Edward I ordered it in 1301. Farther along, the exquisite confection of the Henry VII’s Lady Chapel is topped by a magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling. The wooden seats (or ‘stalls’) carry the heraldic banners of knights. The tomb of Henry VII lies behind the altar; his queen, Elizabeth of York, is also here, as are, it is believed, the bodies of the so-called Princes in the Tower, Edward V and Richard. Elizabeth I is buried above arch enemy Mary Tudor in the tomb just to the north, while Mary Queen of Scots rests in the tomb to the south. In front of the High Altar, which was used for the funerals of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, is a black-and-white marble pavement laid in 1268. The intricate Italian Cosmati work contains three Latin inscriptions, one of which states that the world will last for 19,683 years.

Continue through the South Ambulatory to the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor, which contains the shrine to the pre-Norman king. Because of its great age, you must join the vergers’ tours to be admitted to the chapel (details available at the admission desk; there is a £3 charge), or attend Holy Communion within the shrine on Tuesdays at 8 am. To the left, you’ll find Poets’ Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried here in 1400, and other statues and memorials include those to William Shakespeare, D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot, and Oscar Wilde as well as non-poets, Laurence Olivier and George Frederick Handel among them; look out for the 700-year old frescoes. A door from the south transept and south choir aisle leads to the calm of the Great Cloisters, filled in part with the headstones of 26 monks who died during the Black Death. A café is nicely tucked into the cloisters.

The medieval Chapter House is adorned with 14th-century frescoes and a magnificent 13th-century tiled floor, one of the finest in the country. The King’s Council met here between 1257 and 1547. Near the entrance is Britain’s oldest door, dating from the 1050s. Take a left out of the Chapter House to visit the Abbey Museum, which houses a collection of deliciously macabre effigies made from the death masks and actual clothing of Charles II and Admiral Lord Nelson (complete with eye patch). Past the museum, the Little Cloister is a quiet haven, and just beyond, the College Garden is a delightful diversion. Filled with medicinal herbs, it has been tended by monks for more than 900 years. On the west side of the abbey, the Dean’s Yard is the best spot for a fine view of the massive flying buttresses above.

Continue back to the nave of the abbey. In the choir screen, north of the entrance to the choir, is a marble monument to Sir Isaac Newton. If you walk toward the West Entrance, you’ll see a plaque to Franklin D. Roosevelt—one of the Abbey’s very few tributes to a foreigner. The poppy-wreathed Grave of the Unknown Warrior commemorates soldiers who lost their lives in both world wars; nearby is a portrait of Richard II.

Arrive early if possible, but be prepared to wait in line to tour the abbey. Photography is not permitted. | Broad Sanctuary, Westminster | SW1P 3PA | 020/7222–5152 | www.westminster-abbey.org | Abbey and museum £16; audio tour free | Abbey, Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 9:30–4:30; Wed. 9:30–7; Sat. 9:30–2.30; last admission is one hour before closing time; Sun. open for worship only. Museum, Mon.–Sat. 10:30–4. Cloisters daily 8–6. College Garden, Apr.–Sept., Tues.–Thurs. 10–6; Oct.–Mar., Tues.–Thurs. 10–4. Chapter House, daily 10:30–4. Services may cause changes to hrs, so call ahead | Station: Westminster, St James’s Park.

Worth Noting

Admiralty Arch.
This stately gateway to the Mall (rhymes with ‘shall’) is one of London’s finest set pieces. On the southwest corner of Trafalgar Square, the arch, named after the adjacent Royal Navy headquarters, was designed by Sir Aston Webb and completed in 1912 as a memorial to Queen Victoria. Actually comprised of five arches—two for pedestrians, two for traffic, and the central arch, which is opened only for state occasions—it’s a suitably grand, impressive way to approach Buckingham Palace.

A quirky feature of the arch is its curious “nose”: About 7 feet up, on the inside wall of the most northerly arch is a nose-sized and -shaped protrusion; many thought it based on the schnozzle of Wellington himself, until it turned out to be the work of guerilla artist, Rick Buckley, in 1997. | The Mall, Cockspur St., and Trafalgar Sq., Westminster | SW1A 2WH | Station: Charing Cross.

Banqueting House.
James I commissioned Inigo Jones, one of England’s great architects, to undertake a grand building on the site of the original Tudor Palace of Whitehall, which was (according to one foreign visitor) “ill-built, and nothing but a heap of houses.” Jones’s Banqueting House, finished in 1622 and the first building in England to be completed in the neo-classical style, bears all the hallmarks of the Palladian sophistication and purity which so influenced Jones during his sojourn in Italy. James’s son, Charles I, enhanced the interior by employing the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens—enticed to England by the promise of a knighthood—to glorify his father and himself (naturally) in a series of vibrant painted ceiling panels called “The Apotheosis of James I.” As it turned out, these allegorical paintings, depicting a wise monarch being received into heaven, were the last thing Charles saw before stepped through the open first floor window onto the scaffold, which had been erected directly outside for his execution by Cromwell’s Parliamentarians in 1649. Yet 20 years later his son, Charles II, would celebrate the restoration of the monarchy in the exact same place. | Whitehall, Westminster | SW1A 2ER | 020/3166–6154, 020/3166–6155, 020/3166–6153 concert information | www.hrp.org.uk | £5, includes audio guide | Mon.–Sat. 10–5, last admission 4:15. Closed Christmas wk. Liable to close at short notice for events so calling first is advisable | Station: Charing Cross, Embankment, Westminster.

Carlton House Terrace.
Architect John Nash designed Carlton House, a glorious example of the Regency style, between 1812 and 1830, under the patronage of George IV (Prince Regent until George III’s death in 1820). Nash was the architect of the grand scheme for Regent Street, which started here and ended with the sweep of neoclassical houses encircling Regent’s Park, where the Prince Regent, who lived at Carlton House, had plans to build a country villa. Even though Carlton House was considered a most extravagant building for its time, it was demolished after the prince’s accession to the throne, and Nash built Carlton House Terrace, no less imposing, with white-stucco facades and massive Corinthian columns, in its place. Carlton Terrace was a smart address and one that prime ministers Gladstone (1856) and Palmerston (1857–75) enjoyed. Today Carlton House Terrace houses the Royal College of Pathologists (No. 2), the Royal Society (Nos. 6–9), whose members have included Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, and the Turf Club (No. 5). | The Mall, St. James’s | SW1Y 5AG | Station: Charing Cross.

FAMILY | Household Cavalry Museum.
Horse lovers can see working horses belonging to the British Army’s two senior regiments, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, being tended to in their stable block behind a glass wall. Located in the cavalry’s original 17th-century stables, the museum has displays of uniforms and weapons going back to 1661 as well as interactive exhibits on the regiments’ current operational roles. In the tack room you can handle saddles and bridles, and try on a trooper’s uniform, including its distinctive brass helmet with horsehair plume. | Horse Guards, Whitehall | SW1A 2AQ | 020/7930–3070 | www.householdcavalrymuseum.org.uk | £6 | Mar.–Sept., daily 10–6; Oct.–Feb., daily 10–5 | Station: Charing Cross, Westminster.

St. Margaret’s Church.
Dwarfed by its neighbor, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret’s was founded in the 11th century and rebuilt between 1488 and 1523. As the unofficial parish church of the House of Commons, St. Margaret’s is available for weddings and memorial services for MPs and Lord Mayors—Winston Churchill tied the knot here in 1908. Samuel Pepys, Chaucer, and John Milton worshipped here, and since 1681, a pew off the south aisle has been set aside for the Speaker of the House (look for the carved portcullis). The stained glass in the north windows is classically Victorian, facing abstract glass from John Piper in the south, replacing the originals, which were ruined in World War II. | St. Margaret’s St., Parliament Sq., Westminster | SW1P 3JX | 020/7654–4840 | www.westminster-abbey.org/st-margarets | Weekdays 9:30–3:30, Sat. 9–1:30, Sun. 2–5 (entry via east door). Church may close on short notice for services, so call ahead | Station: Westminster.

The Supreme Court.
The highest court of appeal in the U.K. is housed in the carefully restored Middlesex Guildhall. Visitors are welcome to pop in (for free) and look at the three courtrooms, including the impressive Court Room 1, on the second floor, with its magnificent carved wood ceiling. There is a café downstairs. | Parliament Sq., Westminster | SW1P 3BD | 020/7960–1500, 020/7960–1900 | www.supremecourt.gov.uk | Free | Weekdays 9:30–4:30 | Station: Westminster (take Exit 6 for Whitehall west).

FAMILY | Wellington Barracks.
These are the headquarters of the Guards Division, the Queen’s five regiments of elite foot guards (Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh) who protect the sovereign and, dressed in tunics of gold-purled scarlet and tall bearskin caps, patrol her palaces. Guardsmen alternate these ceremonial postings with serving in current conflicts, for which they wear more practical uniforms. If you want to learn more about the guards, visit the Guards Museum, which has displays on all aspects of a guardsman’s life in conflicts dating back to 1642; the entrance is next to the Guards Chapel. Next door is the Guards Toy Soldier Centre, a great place for a souvenir. | Birdcage Walk, Westminster | SW1E 6HQ | 020/7414–3428 | www.theguardsmuseum.com | £5 | Daily 10–4; last admission 3:30 | Station: St. James’s Park, Green Park.

Westminster Cathedral.
Amid the concrete jungle of Victoria Street lies this remarkable neo-Byzantine gem, seat of the Archbishop of Westminster, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales (often, the archbishop is also a cardinal, although that currently isn’t the case). Faced with having Westminster Abbey as a neighbor, architect John Francis Bentley looked to the east for inspiration, to the basilicas of St. Mark’s in Venice and the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. The asymmetrical redbrick edifice, dating from 1903, is banded with stripes of Portland stone and abutted by a 273-foot-high bell tower (containing Big Edward) at the northwest corner, ascendable by elevator for sterling views. The interior remains incomplete but the unfinished overhead brickwork of the ceiling lends the church a dark, brooding intensity. Several side chapels, such as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Souls Chapel, are beautifully finished in glittering mosaics. The Lady Chapel—dedicated to the Virgin Mary—is also sumptuously decorated. Look out for the Stations of the Cross, a meditative representation of the Via Dolorosa found in all Catholic churches (by Eric Gill), and the striking baldachin—the enormous stone canopy standing over the altar with a giant cross suspended in front of it. The nave, the widest in the country, is constructed in green marble, which also has a Byzantine connection—it was cut from the same place as that used in the Hagia Sofia, and was almost confiscated by warring Turks as it traveled west. All told, more than 200 different types of marble can be found within the cathedral’s interior. Just inside the main entrance is the tomb of Cardinal Basil Hume, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales for more than 25 years. There’s a café in the crypt. | Ashley Pl., Westminster | SW1P 1QW | 020/7798–9055 | www.westminstercathedral.org.uk | Bell Tower and viewing gallery £5; Treasures of the Cathedral exhibition £5; joint ticket for Bell Tower and exhibition £8 | Weekdays 7–6, weekends 8–7; Treasures of the Cathedral exhibition weekdays 9:30–5, weekends 9:30–6 | Station: Victoria.

Royalty Watching

You’ve seen Big Ben, the Tower, and Westminster Abbey. But somehow you feel something is missing: a close encounter with Britain’s most famous attraction—Her actual Majesty, Elizabeth II. The Queen and the Royal Family attend hundreds of functions a year, and if you want to know what they are doing on any given date, turn to the Court Circular, printed in the major London dailies, or check out the Royal Family website, www.royal.gov.uk, for the latest events on the Royal Diary. Trooping the Colour is usually held on the second Saturday in June, to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday. This spectacular parade begins when she leaves Buckingham Palace in her carriage and rides down the Mall to arrive at Horse Guards Parade at 11 exactly. To watch, just line up along the Mall with your binoculars!

Another time you can catch the Queen in all her regalia is when she and the Duke of Edinburgh ride in state to open the Houses of Parliament. The famous black and gilt-trimmed Irish State Coach travels from Buckingham Palace—on a clear day, it’s to be hoped, for this ceremony takes place in late October or early November. The Gold State Coach, an icon of fairy-tale glamour, is used for coronations and jubilees only.

But perhaps the most relaxed, least formal time to see the Queen is during Royal Ascot, held at the racetrack near Windsor Castle—a short train ride out of London—usually during the third week of June (Tuesday–Friday). The Queen and members of the Royal Family are driven down the track to the Royal Box in an open carriage, giving spectators a chance to see them. After several races, the famously horse-loving Queen invariably walks down to the paddock, greeting race goers as she proceeds. If you meet her, remember to address her as “Your Majesty.”

St. James’s

As a fitting coda to all of Westminster’s pomp and circumstance, St. James’s—packed with old-money galleries, restaurants, and gentlemen’s clubs that embody the history and privilege of traditional London—is found to the south of the gaudy avenue called Piccadilly and north of the Mall.

When Whitehall Palace burned down in 1698, all of London turned its attention to St. James’s Palace, the new royal residence. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the area around the palace became the place to live, and many of the estates surrounding the palace disappeared in a building frenzy, as mansions were built and streets laid out. Most of the homes here are privately owned and so closed to visitors, but there are some treasure houses that you can explore (such as Spencer House), as well as a bevy of fancy shops that have catered to the great and good for centuries.

Today, St. James’s remains a rather masculine enclave, containing most of the capitol’s celebrated gentlemen’s clubs (especially the classic Atheneum), long-established men’s outfitters and clothiers, and some interesting art galleries and antiques shops. In one corner is St. James’s Park, a fitting prelude to the biggest monument in the area: Buckingham Palace, home to Her Majesty. Impressive St. James’s Palace is where much of the office work for the House of Windsor gets done; nearby is Clarence House, London abode of Prince Charles and his Camilla.

Top Attractions

Fodor’s Choice | Buckingham Palace.
It’s rare to get a chance to see how the other half—well, other minute fraction—lives and works. But when the Queen heads off to Scotland on her annual summer holiday (you can tell because the Union Jack flies above the palace instead of the Royal Standard), the palace’s 19 State Rooms open up to visitors, although the north wing’s private apartments remain behind closed doors. With fabulous gilt moldings and walls adorned with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, and other old masters, the State Rooms are the grandest of the palace’s 775 rooms.

Buckingham Palace Highlights

The Grand Hall, followed by the Grand Staircase and Guard Room, give a taste of the marble, gold leaf galore, and massive, twinkling chandeliers that embellish the palace. Don’t miss the theatrical Throne Room, with the original 1953 coronation throne, or the sword in the Ballroom, used by the Queen to bestow knighthoods and other honors. Royal portraits line the State Dining Room, and the Blue Drawing Room is splendor in overdrive. The bow-shaped Music Room features lapis lazuli columns between arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and the alabaster-and-gold plasterwork of the White Drawing Room is a dramatic crescendo. Spend some time ambling around the splendid gardens, a gorgeous epilogue to the visit.

The Changing the Guard, also known as Guard Mounting, remains one of London’s best free shows and culminates in front of the palace. Marching to live bands, the old guard proceeds up the Mall from St. James’s Palace to Buckingham Palace. Shortly afterward, the new guard approaches from Wellington Barracks. Then within the forecourt, the captains of the old and new guards symbolically transfer the keys to the palace.

Buckingham Palace Tips

  • If bought directly from the palace ticket office, tickets are valid for a repeat visit over the course of 12 months from the first visit.
  • Admission is by timed ticket with entry every 15 minutes throughout the day. Allow up to two hours.
  • A Royal Day Out ticket, available only in August and September, gives you the regal triple whammy of the Royal Mews, the Queen’s Gallery, and the State Rooms, and is valid throughout the day. Tickets cost £33.25. Allow four hours.
  • Get there by 10:30 to grab a spot in the best viewing section for the Changing the Guard ( | www.changing-the-guard.com), daily at 11:30 from May until the end of July (varies according to troop deployment requirements) and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting.

Buckingham Palace Rd., St. James’s | SW1A 1AA | 020/7766–7300 | www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit | £19 (includes audio tour) | Open Aug., daily 9:30–7 (last admission 4:45); Sept., daily 9:30–6:30 (last admission 3:45). Times subject to change; check website | Station: Victoria, St. James’s Park, Green Park.

The Mall.
This stately, 115-foot-wide processional route sweeping from Admiralty Arch to the Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace is an updated 1904 version of a promenade laid out around 1660 for the game of paille-maille (a type of croquet crossed with golf), which also gave the parallel road Pall Mall its name. The Duke of York Memorial up the steps toward Carlton House Terrace is a towering column dedicated to George III’s second son, further immortalized in the English nursery rhyme “The Grand old Duke of York.” Sadly, the internal spiral steps are inaccessible. TIP Be sure to stroll along The Mall on Sunday when the road is closed to traffic, or catch the bands and troops of the Household Division on their way from St. James’s Palace to Buckingham Palace for the Changing the Guard. | St. James’s | SW1A 2WH | Station: Charing Cross, Green Park.

Piccadilly Circus.
The origins of the name “Piccadilly” relate to a humble 17th-century tailor from the Strand named Robert Baker who sold picadils—a stiff ruffled collar all the rage in courtly circles—and built a house with the proceeds. Snobs dubbed his new-money mansion Piccadilly Hall, and the name stuck.

Pride of place in the circus—a circular junction until the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue in 1886— belongs to London’s favorite statue, Eros (actually, the 1893 work is a representation of Eros’s brother Anteros, the Greek God of requited love). The creation of young sculptor Alfred Gilbert is a memorial to the selflessness of the philanthropic Earl of Shaftesbury (the god’s bow and arrow are an allusion to the earl’s name). Gilbert cast the statue in the then-novel medium of aluminum. Unfortunately, he spent most of his £8,000 fee ensuring the bronze fountain beneath was cast to his specifications. Already in debt, Gilbert eventually went bankrupt and fled to the continent (although, years later, he’d return and receive a knighthood). Beneath the modern bank of neon advertisements surrounding the circus are some of the most elegant Edwardian-era buildings in London. | St. James’s | W1J ODA | Station: Piccadilly Circus.

The Queen’s Gallery.
Twenty years after it was destroyed in an air raid in 1940, this former chapel at the south side of Buckingham Palace was redeveloped, at the say-so of the Queen, into a gallery fit to house the Royal Collection—and what a collection it is! Technically speaking, the sovereign doesn’t “own” these rare and exquisite works of art, she merely holds them in trust for the nation. Only a selection from the Royal Collection is on view at any one time, presented in themed exhibitions. Let the excellent audio guide take you through the elegant galleries filled with some of the world’s greatest art works.

A rough timeline of the major royal collectors starts with Charles I (who also commissioned Rubens to paint the Banqueting House ceiling). An avid art enthusiast, Charles established the basis of the Royal Collection, purchasing works by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, and Dürer. During the Civil War and in the aftermath of Charles’s execution, many masterpieces were sold abroad and subsequently repatriated by Charles II. George III, who bought Buckingham House, scooped up a notable collection of Venetian (including Canaletto), Renaissance (Bellini and Raphael), and Dutch (Vermeer) art, and a large number of baroque drawings, in addition to patronizing English contemporary artists such as Gainsborough and Beechey. He also took a liking to American artist Benjamin West. The Prince Regent, later George IV, transformed his father’s house into a palace, filling it with fine art from paintings to porcelain; he had a particularly good eye for Rembrandt, equestrian works by Stubbs, and lavish portraits by Lawrence. Queen Victoria had a penchant for Landseer animals and landscapes, and Frith’s contemporary scenes. Later, Edward VII indulged Queen Alexandra’s love of Fabergé, and many royal tours around the empire produced gifts of gorgeous caliber, such as the Cullinan diamond from South Africa and an emerald-studded belt from India.

More than 3,000 other objects from the Royal Collection reside in museums and galleries in the United Kingdom and abroad: check out the National Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Museum of London, and the British Museum. TIP The E-gallery provides an interactive electronic version of the collection, allowing the user to open lockets, remove a sword from its scabbard, or take apart the tulip vases. It’s probably the closest you could get to eyeing practically every diamond in the sovereign’s glittering diadem. | Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace Rd., St. James’s | SW1A 1AA | 020/7766–7301 | www.royalcollection.org.uk | £9.50 with free audio guide; joint ticket with Royal Mews £15.75 | Daily 10–5:30; last admission 4:30 | Station: Victoria, St. James’s Park, Green Park.

FAMILY | Royal Mews.
Fairy-tale gold-and-glass coaches and sleek Rolls-Royce state cars emanate from the Royal Mews, next door to the Queen’s Gallery. The John Nash–designed Mews serve as the headquarters for Her Majesty’s travel department (so beware of closures for state visits), complete with the Queen’s own special breed of horses, ridden by wigged postilions decked in red-and-gold regalia. Between the stables and riding school arena are exhibits of polished saddlery and riding tack. The highlight of the Mews is the splendid Gold State Coach, like a piece of art on wheels, with its sculpted tritons and sea gods. Mews were originally falcons’ quarters (the name comes from their “mewing,” or feather shedding), but nowadays the horses rule the roost. There are activities for children, and guided tours are available March to October; call for details. | Buckingham Palace Rd., St. James’s | SW1A 1AA | 020/7766–7302 | www.royalcollection.org.uk | £8.25 (includes audio tour); joint ticket with Queen’s Gallery £15.75 | Mar.–Oct., Mon.–Sat. 10–5 (last admission 4:15); Nov.–Feb., Mon.–Sat. 10–4 (last admission 3:15) | Station: Victoria, St. James’s Park.

St. James’s Palace.
Commissioned by Henry VIII, this Tudor brick palace was the residence of kings and queens for more than 300 years; indeed, it remains the official residence of the Sovereign even though since Queen Victoria’s day all monarchs have lived up the road in the more expansive Buckingham Palace. Today it contains various royal apartments and offices, including the working office of Charles, Prince of Wales (although the front door opens right onto the street, His Royal Highness always uses a back entrance). It’s not open to the public but matters to ponder as you peer past the solitary sentry on duty: an 11th-century hospital for lepers once stood on the site; Charles I spent his last night here before execution; foreign ambassadors to Britain are still accredited to the Court of St. James’s; and after the death of a monarch, the accession of the new sovereign is announced by the Garter King of Arms from the Proclamation Gallery overlooking Friary Court. Friary Court out front is a splendid setting for Trooping the Colour, part of the Queen’s official birthday celebrations. Everyone loves to take a snapshot of the scarlet-coated guardsman standing sentry outside the imposing Tudor gateway. Note that the Changing the Guard ceremony at St. James’s Palace occurs only on days when the guard at Buckingham Palace is changed. | Friary Ct., St. James’s | SW1A 1BS | www.royal.gov.uk | Station: Green Park.

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | St. James’s Park.
In a city of royal parks, this one—bordered by three palaces (the Palace of Westminster, the Tudor St. James’s Palace, and Buckingham Palace)—is the most regal of them all. It’s not only London’s oldest park, but also its smallest and most ornate. Once marshy meadows, the land was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532 as royal deer-hunting grounds (with dueling and sword fights strictly forbidden). Later, James I drained the land and installed an aviary and zoo (complete with crocodiles, camels, and an elephant). When Charles II returned from exile in France, where he had been hugely impressed by the splendor of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles, he transformed the park into formal gardens, with avenues, fruit orchards, and a canal. Lawns were grazed by goats, sheep, and deer, but in the 18th century the park became a different kind of hunting ground, for wealthy lotharios looking to pick up nighttime escorts. A century later, John Nash redesigned the landscape in a more naturalistic, romantic style, and if you gaze down the lake toward Buckingham Palace, you could believe yourself to be on a country estate.

A large population of waterfowl—including pelicans, geese, ducks, and swans (which belong to the Queen)—breed on and around Duck Island at the east end of the lake. From April to September, the deck chairs (charge levied) come out, crammed with office workers at midday, lunching while being serenaded by music from the bandstands. One of the best times to stroll the leafy walkways is after dark, with Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament rising above the floodlighted lake. The popular Inn the Park restaurant is a wood-and-glass pavilion with a turf roof that blends in beautifully with the surrounding landscape; it’s an excellent stopping place for a meal or a snack on a nice day. | The Mall or Horse Guards approach or Birdcage Walk, St. James’s | SW1 | www.royalparks.gov.uk | Daily 5 am–midnight | Station: St. James’s Park, Westminster.

Worth Noting

Clarence House.
The London home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for nearly 50 years, Clarence House is now the residence of the Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry. The Regency mansion was built by John Nash for the Duke of Clarence (later to become William IV) who considered next-door St. James’s Palace to be too cramped for his liking, although post-War renovation work means that little remains of Nash’s original. Since then it has remained a royal home for princesses, dukes, and duchesses, including the present monarch, Queen Elizabeth, as a newlywed before her coronation. The rooms have been sensitively preserved to reflect the Queen Mother’s taste, with the addition of many works of art from the Royal Collection, including works by Winterhalter, Augustus John, and Sickert. You’ll find it less palace and more home, with informal family pictures and comfortable sofas. The tour (by timed ticket entry only) is of the ground-floor rooms and includes the Lancaster Room, so called because of the marble chimneypiece presented by Lancaster County to the newly married Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Clarence House is usually open only for the month of August and tickets must be booked in advance. | St. James’s Palace, The Mall, St. James’s | SW1 1BA | 020/7766–7303 | www.royalcollection.org.uk | £9 | Aug. 1–Sept. 1, Mon.–Fri. 10–4 (last admission 3), weekends 10–5:30 (last admission 4:30) | Station: Green Park.

Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).
You would never suspect that behind the stately white-stucco facade in the heart of Establishment London is to be found that champion of the avant-garde, the ICA. Since 1947, the ICA has been pushing boundaries in the visual arts, performance, theater, dance, and music. There are two movie theaters, a performance theater, three galleries, a highbrow bookstore, a reading room, a café, and a hip bar. | The Mall, St. James’s | SW1Y 5AH | 020/7930–3647 | www.ica.org.uk | Free; £10 for screenings | Tues.–Sun. 11–11 (galleries, open during exhibitions only, may have shorter hours) | Station: Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus.

Quick Bites: ICA Café Bar.
Overlooking The Mall, this café and bar offers a tasty, reasonably priced lunch and dinner menu, with coffees and snacks available throughout the day. Like the venue itself, it’s open Tuesday–Sunday 11–11. | The Mall, St. James’s | SW1Y 5AH | 020/7930–8619 | www.ica.org.uk.

Spencer House.
Ancestral abode of the Spencers—Diana, Princess of Wales’s family—this is perhaps the finest example of an elegant 18th-century town house extant in London. Reflecting his passion for the Grand Tour and classical antiquities, the first Earl Spencer commissioned architect John Vardy to adapt designs from ancient Rome for a magnificent private palace. Vardy was responsible for the external elevation, including the gorgeous west-facing Palladian facade, its pediment adorned with classical statues, and the ground-floor interiors, notably the lavish Palm Room, which boasts a spectacular screen of columns covered in gilded carvings that resemble gold palm trees. The purpose of the bling-tastic style was not only to attest to Spencer’s power and wealth but also to celebrate his marriage, a love match then rare in aristocratic circles (the palms are a symbol of marital fertility). Midway through construction—the house was built between 1756 and 1766—Spencer changed architects and hired James “Athenian” Stuart, whose designs were based on a classical Greek aesthetic, to decorate the gilded State Rooms on the first floor. These include the Painted Room, the first completely neoclassical room in Europe. In recent years the house was superlatively restored by Lord Rothschild (to impress close friend, Princess Diana, but in 2010 the Spencer family scandalously decided to sell off all the house’s best furnishings and paintings at Christie’s so that today’s viewers see a decidedly denuded house. The garden, of Henry Holland design, has also been replanted in the 18th- and 19th-century fashion. The house is open only for one-hour guided tours. The garden is open some Sundays in summer. Check the website for details. | 27 St. James’s Pl., St. James’s | SW1A 1NR | 020/7499–8620 recorded information, 020/7514–1958 tour reservations | www.spencerhouse.co.uk | £12 | Sept.–Dec. and Feb.–July, Sun. 10:30–5:45 (last tour 4:45) | Station: Green Park.

St. James’s Church.
Blitzed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940 and not restored until 1954, this was one of the last of Sir Christopher Wren’s London churches—and his favorite. Completed in 1684, it envelops one of Grinling Gibbon’s finest works, an ornate limewood reredos (the screen behind the altar), and the organ was brought here in 1691 from Whitehall Palace. The church is a lively place, with all manner of lectures and concerts (some are free). A café enjoys a fine location right alongside the church, while a small, sedate garden is tucked away at the rear. The market out front is full of surprises, hosting antiques on Tuesday, and arts and crafts from Wednesday to Saturday. | 197 Piccadilly, St. James’s | W1J 9LL | 020/7734–4511, 020/7381–0441 concert program and tickets | www.st-james-piccadilly.org | Station: Piccadilly Circus, Green Park.

St. James’s Square.
One of London’s oldest and leafiest squares was also the most snobbish address of all when it was laid out around 1670, with 14 resident dukes and earls installed by 1720. Since 1841, No. 14—one of the several 18th-century residences spared by World War II bombs—has housed the London Library (www.londonlibrary.co.uk), founded by Thomas Carlyle. With its million or so volumes, this is the world’s largest independent lending library and is also considered the best private humanities library in the land. The workplace of literary luminaries from T.S. Eliot to Bruce Chatwin, Kingsley Amis, Winston Churchill, John Betjeman, and Charles Dickens, the library invites you to read famous authors’ complaints in the comments book—but you’ll need a day (£15) or week (£50) membership to peruse the collection (bring ID and proof of a U.K. address), although these have to be applied for online in advance. Other notable institutions around the square include the East India Club at No. 16, the Naval and Military Club (known as the “In and Out” after the signage on its gateposts) at No. 4, as well as Chatham House, a think tank on international affairs. A small epitaph to WPC Yvonne Fletcher—shot by a Libyan gunman—can be found on the sidewalk around the square. | St. James’s | SW1 | Station: Piccadilly Circus.

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