Green Park, London — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Green Park is one of London's Royal Parks, a peaceful triangle of mature trees and open grassland sitting between Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly, and Constitution Hill. It's the simplest of the royal parks: no lakes, no flowerbeds, no fountains, just 47 acres of green space in the heart of the city.

The park was created by King Charles II in 1660 so he could walk from Hyde Park to St James's Park without leaving royal land. He surrounded it with a brick wall and it was originally called "Upper St James's Park." The name "The Green Park" became official in 1746.

There's a story behind the lack of flowers. One version claims that Charles II picked flowers here for another woman, and when his wife Catherine of Braganza found out, she ordered all the flowers in the park to be removed. Another version says the park was once a burial ground for lepers from the nearby hospital, and flowers wouldn't grow. Neither story is confirmed, but both are good.

The park was opened to the public in 1826 and redesigned by John Nash, the architect who also shaped Regent Street and Buckingham Palace. In earlier centuries, it was a popular duelling ground and a haunt for highwaymen.

Today, Green Park is a quiet escape between some of London's busiest areas. The Canada Memorial, a polished red granite monument, sits near the park's centre.

If you're on a Questo quest through Westminster, Green Park is a stop where the simplest space in London has some of the most colourful stories.