London palace where the Queen might’ve lived if it hadn’t been for a huge fire

It was late afternoon on January 4, 1698, the winter sky beginning to darken.

At Whitehall Palace, Westminster, a Dutch maidservant was drying some linen sheets, placing them on a portable heater filled with charcoal, known as a brazier.

Although she’d been forbidden to leave the sheets unattended, she decided to risk it, momentarily leaving the room.

It was a fateful mistake. Within minutes, the heat from the brazier had set the sheets on fire, flames travelling rapidly up the bed hangings, before engulfing the entire lodging.

READ MORE: The huge mansion Prince Andrew shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson which is just a 5 mile drive from the Queen’s Windsor home

Soon, the palace was alight in a blaze that would ultimately destroy it.

At the time, Whitehall Palace was the centre of royal power – and had been for 168 years.

Formerly known as York Place, Cardinal Wolsey, who worked under Henry VIII, had brought the house to fame, having it enlarged, decorated and made into his home.

But Wolsey’s relationship with the King soured: he hadn’t been able to secure Henry a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and they had come to blows over policy.

In 1529, Wolsey fell from grace.

Henry VIII decided to claim York Place for himself, intending to transform it into the most magnificent palace in Britain.

It was further enlarged under James VI and James I, and, by 1650, Whitehall Palace was an enormous complex of secular buildings, with 1500 rooms – almost like a small town.

As the royal residence, Whitehall bore witness to several important historical events: it was where Henry VIII died, where Elizabeth I entertained King Philip of Spain, where several of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed.

Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city?

MyLondon’s brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted.

You’ll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.

And what’s more – it’s FREE!

The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets, so you’ll never miss a moment.

Don’t skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here.

In 1649, Whitehall Palace was the site of Charles I’s beheading.

In 1698, the rich history and culture contained with the building’s walls were lost, along with priceless works of art.

Michelangelo’s Cupid, for example, a sculpture acquired by King Charles I, is thought to have been lost in the fire, along with a portrait of King Henry VIII – one of the most famous – painted by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Being largely constructed from timber, the flames spread quickly at Whitehall, and the fire raged throughout its buildings.

Using pumps and buckets to pour water on the burning building, firefighters found that it was having little effect.

They tried using gunpowder, blowing up entire buildings to create a firebreak, but this only made it worse, as chunks of burning timber falling through the sky caused the fire to spread.

As Whitehall burned, it became a free for all, with servants caught attempting to remove tapestries and art from the walls, and looters climbing over the palace walls.

It burned for 15 hours in total, only extinguished by the middle of the following day.

The destruction of the Banqueting House was narrowly avoided, after a breeze reignited the dying flame close to the building.

Huge efforts were made to save it, including bricking up the building’s southernmost window.

Today, the Banqueting House is all that remains of the former Whitehall Palace.

It was the end of its use as a royal residence – but, had it not been for that fateful fire, the Queen might still live in Whitehall Palace today.

Do you have a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email emma.magnus@reachplc.com.

Want more from MyLondon? Sign up for our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.