London is blessed with a series of large green spaces. For that we can thank Henry VIII who, in the 16th century, enclosed an extensive amount of land to the west of his Whitehall Palace where he could partake in his fondness for hunting deer. From the 17th century Henry’s successors formed the hunting grounds into Royal Parks, which were gradually opened to the public. They now consist of Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park, and here at St. James’s Park. King James I began landscaping St. James’s Park in the early 17th century, where the upper classes could stroll. His grandson, Charles II, created a canal through the middle of the park, which in the reign of King George IV was enlarged to become the lake you still see today. St. James’s remains as one of London’s eight royal parks, owned by the Monarch and managed by the Royal Parks charity.