The Queens House

This breath-taking building is part of the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich world heritage site and stands alongside the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory.

The Queen's House was commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I, rumour has it that he granted Anna a manor at Greenwich as an apology for swearing at her in public, he himself was often at the Tudor Palace of Greenwich as it was an important residence for the Stuart dynasty.

In 1616 Anne employed Inigo Jones, a famous designer to create a new pavilion for her at Greenwich that would her very own private retreat, however in 1618, Anne fell ill and work on the project stopped, she died the following year and the building was left incomplete, it was rescued by Charles I who gave the site as a gift to his queen Henrietta Maria of France, it was finally completed in 1635 and was hailed a revolutionary design.

In 1805 the house was granted to the Royal Naval Asylum from George II for the caring and education of orphaned children of seamen. The building was added to and dormitories and classrooms were added. When the house became part of the National Maritime Museum in 1934 work took place in an attempt to restore the house to its former glory.

Today The Queen's Houses is refitted and furnished to look as it would have done in the 1670's, it now houses the National Maritime Museum's extensive art collection, the house features the UK's first spiral staircase, a 'grotesque' style painted ceiling in the Queen's Presence Chamber and a marble floor.

There are also a number of special and temporary exhibitions some of which are free but some do charge an admission fee. There are also family events taking place throughout the year, you can find out more about these in our Exhibitions and Family sections.

The Queen's House is open daily from 10am to 5pm excepting Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The museum also closes early on New Year's Eve and opens late on New Year's Day, and London Marathon Day.

Find out more about the Queens House.

How to get there

The closest station is at the Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich on the DLR line. If travelling by bus the 129, 177, 180, 188, 199, 286, 386, D3 and D7 all serve Greenwich.

Images © National Maritime Museum, London.