Tragically, those paintings commissioned by the king when he ascended the throne were among the last things he would look upon. The nine magnificent paintings, completed in Antwerp over a period of several years and shipped to London, were put in place in 1636.

In 1625 Charles I commissioned the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens to paint the carved and compartmented ceiling for the vast sum of £3,000. The Banqueting House itself, built in 1622 with lavish gilt and grandeur, must have pleased the normally ebullient Pepys whose diary entries often overflowed with superlatives such as “the beautifullest” and “the noblest.” As part of the palace of Whitehall - the sovereign’s main London residence from the time of Henry VIII - the Banqueting House was designed by Inigo Jones as a sumptuous setting for royal banquets, masques, and entertainments. While Pepys may not have been impressed with the ritual, it became so popular during the reign of Charles II that special certificates of the application had to be issued to satisfy the many requests. This ceremony that Pepys observed with some disdain was the ancient custom known as “Touching for the King’s Evil”-a laying on of royal hands to cure the poor souls afflicted with scrofula, a form of tuberculosis.

13 April 1661: To Whitehall to the Banquet House and there saw the King heale, the first time that I ever saw him do it-which he did with great gravity, and it seemed to me to be an ugly office and a simple one. Today, more than 300 years since he strode through London as an energetic young man, there is a special feeling of communion with him when surrounded by the places and things he knew. With his genius for happiness and pleasure in life, Pepys is an exciting and interesting companion, an irresistible guide to his world. Whether on navy business at Whitehall or visiting the newest alehouse, Pepys made his daily rounds-walking the streets, popping in and out of buildings, and traveling the Thames by ferry.Īlthough time has overtaken and destroyed many of Pepys’ haunts or enclosed them with modern life, it is a fascinating pilgrimage to go in search of the great diarist. With interests that ranged from music, theater, and fashion to politics and science, he knew London intimately. He delighted in the city and everything it offered. Pepys was, by birth, career and personal inclination, the quintessential Londoner.

London - a cherished literary capital of the world.

Follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes in London.

Albertopolis - the cultural gem of South Kensington.

In from the diary of samuel pepys