Banqueting Hall
The Banqueting Hall, later known as the Chapel Royal, is a building in Whitehall, London, England that once served as the banqueting hall of the English royal family, and it was later converted to the royal chapel and, later, to a museum.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Originally built as an annex to the Palace of Whitehall in 1622 by King James I from Inigo Jones' designs, the Banqueting Hall was used to host cultural receptions and performances. In 1649, during the English Civil War, King Charles I was executed for treason in front of the Hall.[1]
In 1698, the Palace burned down, with the Banqueting Hall being the only building to survive. It was quickly converted to replace the Chapel Royal, which had also burned down. In 1809, a second gallery was built onto the chapel in order to accommodate larger services, remaining a Chapel Royal until 1891 when Queen Victoria had it converted into a museum, which stands to this day.[1]