4 January 1698: the Palace of Whitehall is destroyed by fire

On this day in 1698, the Palace of Whitehall, one of Europe's most complex and beautiful royal residences, burned down after a basket of linen caught fire

Renovations Begin At The Banqueting House In The Palace of Whitehall
(Image credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

By the late 17th century, the Palace of Whitehall was a mishmash of architectural styles. From Tudor towers to the Palladian Banqueting House designed by Inigo Jones in 1619, it was described as one of the largest, most complex and beautiful palaces in Europe – or the ugliest if you agreed with the French Duc de Saint-Simon.

Disaster struck at four in the afternoon on 4 January 1698, when a basket of linen, left out to dry beside a charcoal fire, set alight. It wasn't the first accident to befall the palace: just seven years earlier, a similar mishap in the Duchess of Portsmouth's lodgings almost claimed the royal residence. But this time, the destruction was all but complete.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.