St James's Palace is the least well-known of the royal residences, despite having been the principal seat of the British monarchy between 1698 and 1837. In this book, the first modern history of the palace, the authors shed precious light on a remarkable building. The publication takes a chronological approach, exploring the palace's role as the home to the heir to the throne before 1714, its impact on the development of London and the West End during the late Stuart period, and how St James's accidentally became the principal residence of the English monarchy after the Palace of Whitehall burnt down in 1698. The disposition of the Royal Collection at St James's is chronicled as the book follows the fortunes of the palace through the Victorian, Edwardian and Elizabethan periods, taking the story up to the year 2000.