Buckingham House in St James's Park

Built for the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703, Buckingham House was designed by the architect William Winde. It is shown here as it appeared in 1754, shortly before the house was bought by George III.

In 1761 the King purchased the house for his wife, Queen Charlotte, as a family home conveniently close to St. James' Palace. Renamed the Queen's House to denote its new use, it was remodelled to designs by the architect William Chambers in 1762. In the early 19th century, George IV and his architect John Nash began work which would transform the house into Buckingham Palace.

This engraving of Buckingham House appeared in John Stow's 'Survey of London' in 1754. Stow's survey, which offered a topographical tour of the city, was first published in 1598 and later revised in subsequent 17th and 18th-century editions.