<P> Built by King Henry VIII on the site of a leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less , the palace was secondary in importance to the Palace of Whitehall for most Tudor and Stuart monarchs . The palace increased in importance during the reigns of the early Georgian monarchy , but was displaced by Buckingham Palace in the late - 18th and early - 19th centuries . After decades of being used increasingly for only formal occasions , the move was formalised by Queen Victoria in 1837 . Today the palace houses a number of official offices , societies and collections and all ambassadors and high commissioners to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St James 's . </P>
<P> Built by King Henry VIII on the site of a leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less , the palace was secondary in importance to the Palace of Whitehall for most Tudor and Stuart monarchs . The palace increased in importance during the reigns of the early Georgian monarchy , but was displaced by Buckingham Palace in the late - 18th and early - 19th centuries . After decades of being used increasingly for only formal occasions , the move was formalised by Queen Victoria in 1837 . Today the palace houses a number of official offices , societies and collections and all ambassadors and high commissioners to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St James 's . </P>
where did royal family live before buckingham palace
where did royal family live before buckingham palace
St James
St James