The Queen’s House is the jewel in the crown of Greenwich’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This bright white villa was at the cutting edge of architecture and design when it was completed in the 1630s.
During the 17th century the Queen’s House was a royal ‘House of Delights’: a luxurious retreat for Kings and Queens, a place of pleasure for court favourites, and a thriving studio for artists and craftsmen.
Since then the Queen’s House has shaped the Greenwich you see today. When architect Sir Christopher Wren began work on what is now the Old Royal Naval College, Queen Mary II had one instruction: the new building should not block the views of the River Thames from the Queen’s House. Thanks to her intervention, the House now sits at the centre of one of London’s most inspiring vistas.
Today the Queen’s House still captures that early spirit of art and creativity. Historic paintings and interiors blend gracefully with contemporary art and sculpture, while music, theatre and discussion fill the Great Hall during our regular programme of live events.
Oh, and it even has its own ghost – if legend is to be believed…
Who lived in the Queen’s House, and who designed the beautiful Tulip Stairs? How did the House change over time, and what secrets do its galleries still contain?
Book your free visit now to experience the Queen’s House for yourself, or read the guide below to discover the story of Greenwich’s royal survivor.
Who was the Queen’s House built for?
Anne of Denmark, the wife of King James I, is the original ‘Queen’ of the Queen’s House.
King James I granted the existing manor of Greenwich to his Queen in 1613. Supposedly the manor had been a gift from the King as an apology for losing his temper, after Anne had accidentally shot one of his favourite dogs while hunting.
The architect Inigo Jones was commissioned to design a new palace in 1616. Jones had made his name as a designer and producer of court ‘masques’, a kind of courtly entertainment featuring dance, music, poetry and drama. The original intention may have been for the House to be a venue for this lavish entertainment.
Inigo Jones’s design for the House also served another purpose however.
The main public road from London to Dover cut right through this area of Greenwich, separating the royal hunting grounds of Greenwich Park from the Palace by the river. Jones designed the Queen’s House so that it would bridge over the road, creating a grand portal between park and palace.
This means that visitors to the Queen’s House today actually enter through what was originally the ‘back’ of the House. The sunny side facing Greenwich Park was originally the front, with the large balcony and high windows acting as an impressive vantage point for looking out on activities in the park.
Anne of Denmark never lived to see Inigo Jones’s design realised however. The Queen died of tuberculosis in March 1619 aged 44. The ground floor shell of the Queen’s House was left half-built.
It was not until after 1629, when James’s son Charles I gave Greenwich to his wife Henrietta Maria, that work resumed. The Queen’s House had another Queen.
