Lancaster House

Lancaster House
Map
General information
Architectural styleNeo-classical
LocationSt James's
London, SW1
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′14″N 0°8′21″W / 51.50389°N 0.13917°W / 51.50389; -0.13917
Current tenantsForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Construction started1825
Completed1840; 184 years ago (1840)
OwnerHM Government
Technical details
Floor countThree (plus basement)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Benjamin Dean Wyatt (interior and exterior)
Sir Charles Barry (interior)
Sir Robert Smirke (interior)
References
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameLancaster House
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1236546
The central hall and principal staircase of Lancaster House by Joseph Nash, 1850
A plan of the principal floor in 1827. Only minor alterations have been made to the layout of this storey since then.

Lancaster House (originally known as York House and then Stafford House) is a mansion on The Mall in the St James's district in the West End of London. Adjacent to The Green Park, it is next to Clarence House and St James's Palace, as much of the site was once part of the palace grounds. Initially planned for Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, it was ultimately completed by the Duke of Sutherland, then Marquess of Stafford, as an aristocratic townhouse in the early 19th century, and known for its lavish interiors. Gifted to the government in the early 20th century, it houses the government's wine cellars and was home to the London Museum until World War II. Now used for diplomatic receptions and related functions by the Foreign Office, it is a historic Grade I listed building,[1] and its interiors are sometimes used in films or television as a stand in for Buckingham Palace.

  1. ^ Historic England. "Lancaster House (Grade I) (1236546)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2015.