l must have been standing
before 1100 A.D., as it was then visited by the Abbot of Westminster.
Eight brethren were subsequently added to the institution. Several
benevolent bequests of land were made to it from time to time. In 1450
the custody of the hospital was granted perpetually to Eton College by
Henry VI. In 1531 Henry VIII. obtained some of the neighbouring land
from the Abbey of Westminster, and in the following year he took the
hospital also, giving lands in Suffolk in exchange for it. There is
reason to believe that he pensioned off the ejected inmates. At any
rate, having demolished the House of Mercy, he proceeded to build for
himself a palace, which is supposed to have been planned by Holbein,
under the direction of Cromwell, Earl of Essex. Henry VIII. was too much
occupied in taking possession of Wolsey's palaces to bestow very much of
his time on his own new building, though he occasionally resided here
before he acquired Whitehall. Edward VI. did not live at St James's
Palace regularly, but Queen Mary patronized it, preferring it to
Whitehall. It was granted to Prince Henry during the reign of James I.,
and Charles I. spent the last three days before his execution here. The
Prince known as the "Pretender" was born in one of the palace
apartments, and many historians have commented on the fact that this
chamber was conveniently near a small back-staircase, up which a
new-born infant could have been smuggled. During the reign of King
William the palace was fitted up as a residence for Prince George of
Denmark and Princess Anne. When the Princess ascended the throne, the
palace became the regular residence of the Court, which it continued to
be until the accession of Queen Victoria, who preferred Buckingham
Palace.

The only parts remaining of King Henry's building are the gatehouse,
some turrets, a mantelpiece in the presence chamber, which bears the
initials H. and A. (Henry and Anne Boleyn) with a true lovers' knot, the
Chapel Royal (which has, of course, been renovated), and the
tapestry-room. Levees are still held at the palace.

On the west of the gatehouse a series of apartments were being prepared
for the Duke of Clarence at the time of his death, and were afterwards
assigned to the present Prince and Princess of Wales. At the west end is
Clarence House, in the occupation of the Duke of Connaught. This was
occupied by the King of Prussia and his sons on their visit to England
in 1814. The Duches