On 12 Jan 1618-19, the old Banqueting House is consumed by fire and Inigo Jones was hired to replace it.
The old Banqueting House was only completed in 1606 as a replacement of the Tudor banqueting house. As the popularity of the Jacobean court masques grew, so did the desire for a grander performance space. However, when King James I saw the finished building in 1606 he was disappointed. Around 12 years later, workers clearing up a masque accidently set fire to the oil-painted scenery and the Banqueting House was burnt to the ground. Inigo Jones was the architect of the moment, and was quickly hired to replace it. The fashionable Palladian building that he designed was completed to James I’s delight in 1922.