Somerset House Palace in London ravaged by fire

A historic building in central London was threatened by a powerful fire. Somerset House Palace was home to the future Queen Elizabeth I and houses an important art collection.

» Updated: September 19 2024

» Published: August 17 2024

Somerset House Palace in London ravaged by fire
Photo: Shivansh Gupta/AP/TT

Over 125 firefighters fought the fire in the famous historic building Somerset House near the River Thames and the main street Strand on Saturday.

The fire was fully under control on Saturday evening.

The fire broke out at lunchtime, and thick smoke spread over London's inner city.

No one missing

The fire brigade from several of London's districts was quickly on the scene, according to the fire authority London Fire Brigade. The cause of the fire was being investigated.

Neither staff nor visitors to Somerset House were threatened by the fire.

The building Somerset House has great historical value and originated from the 16th century and was then a typical example of so-called Tudor style. The future Queen Elizabeth I lived in the then-building until she was crowned.

Somerset House has since been rebuilt and renovated several times, sometimes from the ground up, but part of its current neoclassical design was drawn by the Swedish-Scottish architect William Chambers and began to be built in 1776. The building was completed with wings in 1831 and 1856.

Large art collection

The complex, which has today become one of London's cultural complexes, has a prominent collection of artworks by, among others, Vincent van Gogh, Peter Paul Rubens, Édouard Manet, and Paul Cézanne. The paintings in the Courtauld Gallery were not threatened.

The fire was discovered in the middle of the day in a corner of the western wing, the area was immediately evacuated, and London Fire Brigade was quickly on the scene, said Jonathan Reekie, who is the director of the Somerset House foundation.

The iconic venue is used for various cultural events and was scheduled to host a breakdance event on Saturday, reports the British public service broadcaster BBC.

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By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

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