Banqueting House

Execution plaque of King Charles I

Ceiling paintings and interior of main hall

We are studying architecture amongst many things in my humanities course here in London. One of our field studies was to a revolutionary building named The Banqueting House. The structure was inspired by Palladian Italian renaissance style and was the first major classical building to be completed in England. It’s interesting to see how the influence of this building is reflected in every other building that is now on the same street. The breathtaking canvases of the ceiling have survived flooding, fire and war and is nothing short of a miracle that it can still be enjoyed in their original setting, just as kings and courtiers have done for the past 400 years. My favorite thing about the banqueting house is that it’s the execution site of King Charles I. There aren’t many historical places in England where someone in the royal family had their head cut off. The plaque above the door when you walk in gives a nice little description of the event.

I guess the banqueting house is still used in a similar way today as it was used in the past. There are frequent governmental events and seminars that are held there. They also rent it out to the public for other events such as receptions, concerts, and dinners.