A History of Somerset House

1547

Edward Seymour, Lord Protector and Duke of Somerset, starts building a palace for himself on the banks of the River Thames.

1552

Seymour is executed at the Tower of London. Ownership of his palace, nearly complete, passes to the Crown.

1553

Aged 20, Princess Elizabeth moves to Somerset House; she resides there until 1558, when she was crowned Queen Elizabeth I.

1603

Anne of Denmark – wife of James I of England (James VI of Scotland) – moves to Somerset House, which is renamed Denmark House in her honour.

1604

The Treaty of London, ending the 19-year Anglo-Spanish War, is negotiated and signed at Denmark House.

1609

Anne of Denmark invites Inigo Jones and other architects to redesign and rebuild parts of the palace; work would continue until her death in 1619.

1625

Charles I is crowned King. His wife, Henrietta Maria of France, commissions Jones and others undertook more construction and renovation work, including a lavish new Roman Catholic chapel completed in 1636.

1642

The English Civil War begins. Soon afterwards, General Thomas Fairfax takes over the palace as the headquarters for the Parliamentary Army.

1649

The Civil War ends and Charles I is executed. Parliament tries and fails to sell Denmark House, but successfully sells its contents for the then-huge sum of £118,000.

1652

Inigo Jones dies at Denmark House.

1660

After Charles II, her son, is crowned King at the start of the Restoration, Henrietta Maria returns to Denmark House; further construction follows.

1665

The Plague sweeps London; Henrietta Maria moves back to France, where she would die in 1669.

1666

The Great Fire of London destroys much of the City of London, but stops just short of Denmark House.

1685

Charles II dies and his wife, Catherine of Braganza, moves into Denmark House; Sir Christopher Wren oversees yet more construction and renovation work

1693

Catherine of Braganza leaves Denmark House, the last royal to live in the palace.

c1700

Denmark House is used as grace-and-favour apartments, offices, storage and stables.

c1750

Canaletto paints two views from the terrace.

1775

After decades of neglect, the original Somerset House is demolished; architect William Chambers immediately starts work on its replacement.

1779

The Royal Academy of Arts becomes the first resident of new Somerset House in what’s now known as the North Wing.

1780

The Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries take up residence in the North Wing; Somerset House hosts the first Royal Academy Exhibition.

1786

The Embankment Building, known today as the South Wing, is completed; the East and West Wings are completed two years later.

1789

The Navy Board completes its move to Somerset House and eventually occupies one-third of the site; the Stamp Office, responsible for taxing newspapers and other documents, joins the board in the South Wing.

1795

William Chambers, then aged 72, retires; James Wyatt replaces him as the building’s architect.

1801

The new Somerset House is deemed complete, its construction having cost a mammoth £462,323.

1829

Sir Robert Smirke starts work on King’s College, which opens in 1831 and is finally completed in 1835.

1836

The General Register Office, responsible for births, deaths and marriages, is established here.

1837

One year after the final Royal Academy Exhibition at Somerset House, the academy moves to Burlington House on Piccadilly.

1849

Having merged in 1834, the Stamp Office and the Board of Taxes join with the Board of Excise to form the Inland Revenue, which remains in residence for more than 150 years.

1856

Seven years after James Pennethorne started work on its design, the New Wing is completed.

1857

The Royal Society moves out of Somerset House to join the Royal Academy of Arts at Burlington House; the Society of Antiquaries follows 17 years later.

1864

Work begins on the Victoria Embankment, designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette; the embankment is completed in 1870.

1873

The Admiralty leaves Somerset House; its offices are taken over by the Inland Revenue.

1940s

Near the start of World War II, the Inland Revenue temporarily moves out of Somerset House; the Ministry of Supply takes its place.

1950

Sir Alfred Richardson starts a two-year project to rebuild the Navy Staircase, known today as the Nelson Stair, which had suffered terrible bomb damage in 1940.

1970

After 134 years at Somerset House, the General Register Office moves out.

1989

The Courtauld Institute of Art moves into the North Wing.

1997

The Somerset House Trust is established to preserve and develop Somerset

House for public use.

2000

The River Terrace opens to the public for the first time in more than a century; the Hermitage Rooms and the Gilbert Collection both open; then, in December, Somerset House installs a temporary ice rink for the first time.

2001

American band Lambchop plays the first gig in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court; a full programme of shows follows in 2002 and continues today as the Summer Series.

2009

London Fashion Week takes place at Somerset House for the first time.