Queens House, "House of the Queen" - a small two-story building rather unassuming appearance, the left of the Maritime Museum. Considered part of the museum, it has its own, very special story in which there is place for art, love and death.

In 1589, King of Scotland, James VI (also known as the future king of England, James I) married the young daughter of the Danish monarch. Danish Anna was charming and cheerful, but the intellectual level of the philosopher-king does not hold. Relationships between spouses ports, poured oil on the flames move Anna to Catholicism. In 1614, on the hunt Anna accidentally shot in the pet dog of the king, his majesty in the hearts of publicly berated her majesty. In an effort to make amends for an offense, the king gave the queen Greenwich mansion with an old Tudor palace. Anna was invited by the Danish architect Inigo Jones, so he built her residence here.

Prior to this, Jones for three years studying in Italy, Roman and Renaissance architecture. He decided to build the first in England classic Palladian-style building, painted white, - before the island architecture used mainly red brick. Work went on at a good pace until April 1618, when the Danish sorokatrёhletnyaya Anna suddenly ill. The following year she died, construction stopped. A new impetus to the construction site has already given King Charles I, who wished to complete the Queen's House for his beloved Queen Henrietta Maria of France. The work was largely completed in 1635, but enjoyed the Queen's palace for long: in 1642 civil war broke out, Parliament fought with the king, the queen was over all fled to France, and public execution of Charles I.

After the restoration of the monarchy Queen's House in 1673 it was reserved for the Dutch marine painters, father and son Willem van de Velde - artists hired Charles II, to adequately reflect the victory of England over the sea. In 1805, George III gave the building a facility for the children of the dead sailors. A little later, the architect Daniel Escher Alexander added to the Queens House and the wings of the colonnade. In the years 1986-1999 the palace was thoroughly renovated.

Now it is placed art collections of the National Maritime Museum - pictures, including many portraits of XVII-XX centuries. The heart of the collection are paintings of father and son Willem van de Velde belonging to the masterpieces of the golden age of Dutch painting. Immediately - famous painting of Joseph William Turner "Battle of Trafalgar".