The wide boulevard along the north side of St. James’s Park is The Mall. In the 17th century St. James’s Park was where royalty and the aristocracy would stroll. During the reign of Charles II in the second half of the century a game known as palle-maille, similar to croquet, became popular with those upper classes. The area to the north of St. James’s Park was laid out to play the game. The lane along the north of the park took on the name Pall Mall, by which it is still known. It was decided in the early years of the 20th century to create a grand processional route in parallel to Pall Mall, named The Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace. It is used for major national occasions, such as state visits by overseas leaders, and other important events. Since 1951 its surface has been coloured to resemble a red carpet.