When King Henry VIII demolished a hospital for sick women to make way for his new hunting lodge, he paved the way for the development of one of London’s greatest gems, the stylish and sophisticated area of St James’s. Over the next 300 years, it became home to the “best sort of people”, where you’d find houses owned by “persons of the highest social rank”. St James’s is still where you’ll find some of London’s grandest homes today, along with its finest hotels, bars and restaurants. It also has the oldest luxury shops in the world, and one of its streets boasts more Royal Warrants than any other street in the country. This self-guided audio tour will take you through elegant streets into leafy garden squares and narrow alleyways. Along the way, we’ll see some of London’s most iconic sights and also plenty of hidden gems. Most of all, we’ll hear the stories, scandals and gossip that have all helped to create the unique character of the area that we see today.