Painted wooden panel with, according to tradition, a portrait of king Stephen. From Winchester House, the London residence built in the 1500s by William Paulet, Marquis of Winchester

Nobility & the royal court

‘London is a large and magnificent city. It has two castles, of which one, situated on the edge of the city, is washed by an arm of the sea. The King of England dwells there and there we found him.’
(Gabriel Tetziel 1465–7)

By the end of the medieval period, London (or rather Westminster) had become the home of the King of England and the centre of national government.

Click on the names below to find out about some of the people who were involved in royal government and administration.

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