London Attractions Unfamiliar Attractions Banqueting HouseThe Banqueting House - £
The Banqueting House is on Whitehall and lines the Sargasso route of tourist hordes trekking from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery & National Portrait Gallery past Downing Street, towards the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. Banqueting 
House blends in beautifully with the surrounding buildings and it's possible to walk past it every day for years and never pay it significant attention (guilty, m'lud). However, its history predates all but a few buildings nearby and it hides one of the grandest interiors in town. Banqueting House blends in because the nearby buildings resemble 'it' (rather than the other way around), since it popularised a new style which influenced English architecture to an unprecedented degree. A little under a fiver to enter (£5), children under 16 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult - so it's easy on the pocket, as far as sights and attractions go.
If history and buildings where significant events occurred are of interest, then absolutely add it to your itinerary. If looking around old buildings is not your first choice of activity - give it a try. The establishment of a palace at Whitehall saw the first inklings of a formalised government location in the UK, as the Privy Council of England (like an early cabinet) remained in Westminster Palace (originally built in the 11th Century) after Henry VIII decamped to Whitehall. Parliament was associated with Westminster from this point - elected members were introduced after the dissolution of the Long Parliament in 1659.
The original Palace of Whitehall was created during the Tudor period by King Henry VIII after York House was greatly expanded (like Hampton Court, it was a former property of Cardinal Wolsey). Any trace of Wolsey was expunged, since Henry was now Supreme Governor of the Church of England and keen to establish his credentials by building the grandest palace in all Christendom (the newly legitimised Anne Boleyn accompanied him). Although extensive, there was no formal banqueting house in the palace at the time - one was later created for James I but it burnt down shortly after construction. Whitehall Palace became the largest palace in Europe with over 1,500 rooms - outstripping Versailles and The Vatican.
The present Banqueting House was designed in 1638 by Inigo Jones who brought an innovative new style to English Architecture - the Palladian style 
(developed by Venetian architect Andrea Palladio) - based on simple classical lines (Italian influenced), with a flat roof and window pediments. In stark contrast to Jacobean Renaissance style, which was prevalent across England at the time. The Banqueting House is often quoted as the first Palladian building in Britain, but The Queen's House in Greenwich predates it by over 20 years. It was designed to 'tack onto' the extensive Whitehall Palace without destroying its architectural lines, but in fact Jones made no attempt to harmonise the building and it served as a highly visible opportunity to advertise his new style. He also produced extensive plans for a new Whitehall Palace, where Banqueting House would form an initial wing, but English finances were awry leading up to the civil war, so plans were indefinitely shelved. In 1698 the Tudor Palace of Whitehall was destroyed by fire, despite the relatively recent introduction of fire companies to tackle blazes (after the destruction caused by the Great Fire of London 1666). The Banqueting House survived (along with two gates). Whitehall fell from favour as a Royal Palace and so the Banqueting House has remained isolated - indicating what might have been.
It was never built as a Banqueting House in truth, but was used for receiving visitors and staging plays and musical performances. Especially 'masques' - 'light' plays and dramas, with songs and dancing and an appropriately pro-royal stance. Ben Johnson wrote many and much of the backdrop scenery was provided by Inigo Jones himself. The main hall is a 'double-cube' room built along mathematical lines. When Charles I ascended to the throne he became a keen patron of the arts. 
After a trip to Spain, he was suitably impressed by contemporary art on display at the Royal Court and commissioned Peter Paul Rubens (Europe's most renowned artist) to decorate the ceiling of the Banqueting House, in honour of his father James I. After collecting his promised knighthood, Rubens upped sticks to Belgium and Anthony Van Dyck took over as court painter (much to Charles's irritation). The building was faced with Portland Stone in the 19th century, with the external features faithfully maintained, but this was typical during the period - as Apsley House underwent a similar fate. The English Civil War split the country into two opposing factions and Inigo Jones's Palladian style was associated with the 'Royalist' cause. Until the Restoration of the Monarchy, his new architectural style was ignored, however after the Restoration it influenced English architecture like no other style - but Jones would never live to see this acceptance.
The vaulted Undercroft of the Banqueting House was built as a drinking and gambling den for James I and his friends, in the 1620s. Ben Johnson (one of the King's drinking fraternity) penned the following rhyme:
Since Bacchus, thou art father
Of wines, to thee the rather
We dedicate this Cellar
Where now, thou art made Dweller
Banqueting House is renowned for being the location of Charles I's execution, on 30 January 1649. He was beheaded for High Treason, acting against the interests of the English people and their parliament. This was a novel approach - taking a King to trial - and there was no precedent to draw upon. Charles refused to enter a plea, invoking his rank as Supreme Governor of the Church of England and blessed with Divine Right. His refusal to plea was entered as Pro Confesso - an admission of guilt and his death warrant was duly signed. He was taken to the Palace at Whitehall and held there while a scaffold was erected in front of Banqueting House.
The execution of Charles I at Banqueting House, Whitehall in London - 30 January 1649
Charles I wore two shirts to protect against involuntary shivering from the cold, as he did not want the crowd to mistake his deportment for fear. His head was taken off with one clean stroke by a masked executioner, though no-one knows who it was - many refused the commission and numerous historical 
rascals claimed to have done the deed. It was reported that a moan rippled through the crowd, but this account was written twelve years after the event by a pro-Royalist propaganda author - it didn't happen. The King's head was sewn back on for burial at Windsor Castle (an astonishing conciliatory gesture by the Parliamentarians), but the effect of the execution - the wilful desecration of a holy institution, sent shockwaves through the kingdom. Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector (a king by another name), but after his death the mantle passed to his son who lacked his father's political skills. The Long Parliament was restored, then replaced by elected representatives and the monarchy was reinstated (The Restoration) in 1660. Charles II was king, though now the influence was held by Parliament, not the Monarch. Cromwell was exhumed and beheaded, which in some way explains English longstanding resistance to the establishment of a republic, preferring a constitutional monarchy instead. Much of this critical incident occurred at and around Banqueting House in Whitehall, which appears to blend into near invisibility - but in historical terms, there are few locations which played host to such significant events, arts and styles in England. Don't miss it.
Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm - last ticket entry 4.30pm
Adult £4.80, Concessions £4.00, Children under 16 - Free: Includes a multi-language audio guide. (Prices are subject to change)
Call: +44 (0)203 166 6154/5 - check it's not hosting a Government function when you plan to visit.
The Banqueting House, Whitehall, London SW1A 2ER
Nearest Tube: Charing Cross or Westminster
