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The Privy Stairs were the rivermen’s stairs on the Thames attached to the king and queen’s apartments at Whitehall for use by the monarchs when they still resided at the palace; river access was necessary as the palace faced the Thames rather than the street (Ivimey 163). The stairs was used primarily by visiting foreign dignitaries and courtiers in order to gain access to the palace without needing to negotiate the streets of London, while a second dock, the Whitehall Stairs, was located downstream and was accessible to the public (Pepys).
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The Privy Stairs were the rivermen’s stairs on the Thames attached to the king and queen’s apartments at Whitehall; the stairs were for use of the monarchs when they still resided at the palace. River access was necessary as the palace faced the Thames rather than the street (Ivimey 163). The stairs were used primarily by visiting foreign dignitaries and courtiers in order to gain access to the palace without needing to negotiate the streets of London, while a second dock, the Whitehall Stairs, was located downstream and was accessible to the public (Pepys). According to the
belonging to or reserved for the exclusive use of a particular person or group of people; that is one’s own(
The first reference to the construction of a riverside dock near the palace was made in the kinges Carpenter towardes the making of a pryvat bridge at yorke place
(Cox and Norman). Because York Place was the name of the palace before it was known as Whitehall, this mention to a bridge could be referring to the construction of either the Privy Stairs or the Whitehall Stairs (Cox and Norman).
Because their use would have been exclusive to the English royalty and those in their confidence, one can imagine many historic events beginning from the Privy Stairs. English poet and historian Peeres of the Realme being all assembled in Parliament, his Maiesty accompanied with the Prince, who was that morning to be inuested in his Principalitie, tooke water at the priuy staires at White hal, and landing together at Westminster bridge, his Maiesty passed directly to the Parliament-house, and the Prince to the Court of Wardes, from whence, after a whiles tarryance for the disposing of things in due order, his highnesse proceeded in this maner to his Creation.
Courtiers would have also employed them on more menial tasks in order to traverse the city from the palace without having to worry about cutpurses or crowded streets. After done here, and the Council up, I by water from the Privy-stairs to Westminster-Hall; and, taking water, the King
(Pepys). In this context, the everyday usage of the Privy Stairs by people connected to the court can be observed. These stairs were not likely used by people seeking transport across the river to the theatre or other amusements, but they rather would have functioned to convey courtiers on business errands when not used by the king or queen themselves. Although they had a long and storied history, the destruction of Whitehall by fire in