St James's Palace
St James's Palace is a royal palace and historic building located in the City of Westminster. Commissioned by Henry VIII of England and featuring architecture by Christopher Wren, this Grade I listed building displays Tudor, Renaissance, and Brick Gothic styles. The building's inception was in 1533 and it opened in 1536. It is part of the Historic Royal Palaces and is the 28th most looked-up sight in the United Kingdom on English Wikipedia. The palace is named after St. James the Elder and has been home to occupants such as Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice of York, and Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy.
Planning a visit
The warmest months to visit are July and August, which have daily highs of 21 °C and lows of 13 °C. The coldest months are January, February, and December, with daily highs of 7 °C. In March, daily highs reach 10 °C. Rainfall is lowest in February at 44 mm over about 12 days, while October is the wettest month with 74 mm of rain over about 13 days.
The palace is 1 km from London. London City Airport is 13 km away and London Heathrow Airport is 23 km away. Nearby locations include Buckingham Palace (0.5 km), Piccadilly Circus (0.6 km), Downing Street (0.7 km), and Charing Cross (0.8 km). The site does not have wheelchair access.
Weather by month
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 21 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Average low, °C | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Rainfall, mm | 61 | 44 | 48 | 48 | 54 | 49 | 48 | 55 | 58 | 74 | 68 | 63 |
| Rainy days | 14 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
