The Holbein Gate was a monumental gateway across Whitehall in Westminster, constructed in 1531–32 in the English Gothic style. The Holbein Gate and a second less ornate gate, Westminster Gate, were constructed by Henry VIII to connect parts of the Tudor Palace of Whitehall to the east and west of the road. It was one of two substantial parts of the Palace of Whitehall to survive a catastrophic fire in January 1698, the other being Inigo Jones's classical Banqueting House. The Holbein Gate was described by Thomas Pennant as "the most beautiful gate at Whitehall". It was demolished in August 1759 to allow better movement of traffic and was possibly going to be re-erected in Windsor Great Park, but its materials were dispersed instead.
The Gate at Whitehall (Holbein Gate) from George Vertue's Vetusta Monumenta Vol.1, 1747 (1826)
The Palace of Whitehall by Hendrick Danckerts, c. 1675, viewed from St. James's Park looking east. The four-towered building left of centre is the palace gatehouse, the "Holbein Gate".
Whitehall and the Privy Garden from Richmond House, Canaletto, 1747, view from Richmond House looking north over the Privy Garden to the Holbein Gate (far left) and Banqueting House (centre, seen end-on).
Whitehall Showing Holbein's Gate and Banqueting Hall, Thomas Sandby, c. 1760, viewed from the south
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square. The street is recognised as the centre of the Government of the United Kingdom and is lined with numerous departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defence, Horse Guards and the Cabinet Office. Consequently, the name "Whitehall" is used as a metonym for the British civil service and government, and as the geographic name for the surrounding area.
Whitehall pictured in 2012, with The Cenotaph and Monument to the Women of World War II in the middle of the carriageway, and the Elizabeth Tower housing Big Ben in the background.
Whitehall, looking south in 1740: Inigo Jones' Banqueting House (1622) on the left, William Kent's Treasury buildings (1733–37) on the right, the Holbein Gate (1532, demolished 1759) at centre.
View of the Horse Guards Building from Whitehall, showing the three arches that link it to Horse Guards Parade
Whitehall, looking north in 1953, with the Earl Haig Memorial in the middle of the carriageway.