The Court of St James's serves as the official

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

for the

Sovereign of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...

. The court formally receives all

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

s accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally accredited from this court. The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, known as

Master of the Ceremonies The office of Master of the Ceremonies was established by James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Irel ...

before 1920, serves as the liaison between the British monarch and foreign diplomatic missions. The Marshal is stationed permanently at

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...

. As of 1886, there were merely six ambassadors in London, while 37 other countries were represented by ministers. (The custom, developed in the 18th century, was that only monarchies sent ambassadors, while others sent ministers; this distinction was abrogated toward the end of the 19th century.) By 2015, the number of foreign missions accredited to the Court of St James's had risen to 175, including 47 high commissions from

Commonwealth countries The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which i ...

and 128 embassies from non-Commonwealth countries. Official meetings and receptions related to the court, such as Privy Council meetings or the annual Diplomatic Reception attended by 1,500 guests, typically take place wherever the monarch is in residence—usually at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

Origin of the name

The Court of St James's derives its name from

, hence the possessive ''s'' at the end of the name. This nomenclature is due to St James's Palace being the most senior royal palace, despite

being the primary metropolitan residence of all British sovereigns since the accession of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1837. The court's name is sometimes wrongly pronounced as the "Court of St James", excluding the appropriate "iz" pronunciation of the possessive "s" suffix.

References

{{reflist Monarchy of the United Kingdom Diplomacy Diplomatic services Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Foreign relations of Great Britain Foreign relations of England British royal court

Origin of the name

See also

References