Lambeth Palace (originally called the Manor of Lambeth or Lambeth House) has been the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the thirteenth century. The south bank of the Thames was an attractive choice for the location of an Archbishop's Palace, with its proximity to Westminster and the Royal Court. It is first and foremost the home of the Archbishop and his family, but is also the central office for his national and international ministry.

Among the pictures in the Palace is the longest and most complete series of portraits of office holders (other than monarchs) in the country. There is a portrait of every archbishop since William Warham (Henry VIII’s archbishop), including pictures by de László, Sargent, Reynolds, Romney, Dance-Holland, and Hogarth.

Within the grounds is Lambeth Palace Library. Established in 1610, it is the historic library of the Archbishops of Canterbury and the principal library and record office for the history of the Church of England. It remains a place of academic study and its collections are freely available for research.