JMSAZ

One of the joys of walking around London is that you can walk past a building built in 1622 and not even notice. The city is filled with historical buildings, and this is one of the more important. The Banqueting House is the only portion of Whitehall Palace, built by Henry VIII, to survive a fire in 1698 that destroyed the rest of the palace, which was never rebuilt. This hall was begun in 1619, and designed by architect Inigo Jones. The purpose of this hall within the palace was to hold Royal ceremonies, banquets, pageants and other gatherings. The most prominent feature of the building is the ceiling, featuring "The Apotheosis of James I" painted by Peter Paul Rubens in 1635, and commissioned by his son, Charles I. In the hall they have mirrored tables on wheels so that a visitor can see the paintings without straining their neck - a great idea. This building is most famous as the site of the execution of King Charles I in 1649. There is a plaque under the window where Charles walked out onto the scaffolding to be beheaded.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/banquetinghouse/