What is now St. James’s Park was in the 16th century part of Henry VIII’s hunting grounds. Prior to that, it was a marshy area, isolated from London and Westminster. That made it a perfect location for a hospice for those suffering from the highly contagious leprosy, which was a common infection in the past. The hospice was named after St. James the Less, a 1st century Bishop of Jerusalem. When the area was appropriated for hunting, the hospice was demolished and in its place Henry had a red-brick hunting lodge constructed.

Over time the hunting lodge evolved into a palace of some significance, occasionally the main royal residence. Queen Mary I died in the palace and Charles I spent his last night here before his execution. Charles II, James II, Mary II, and Queen Anne were all born in St. James’s Palace. After Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire in 1698 St. James’s became the official royal palace until Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in the 19th century. Even today, foreign ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James's. It is from the balcony facing Marlborough Road that each new British monarch is proclaimed. In 1941 representatives from a group of countries met at the palace to sign the initial declaration that established the United Nations. It remains the home of several members of the royal family.