Banqueting House

The Banqueting House stands as the sole major survivor of the massive Palace of Whitehall, which was once the largest royal residence in Europe. While the rest of the sprawling palace complex was reduced to ash by a catastrophic fire in sixteen ninety-eight, this single building was spared after King William the Third specifically ordered Sir Christopher Wren to prioritize its protection. Its survival allows us to see the exact space where royal power was once performed on a grand scale.