The Duke of York's Headquarters is a building in Chelsea

Chelsea, London

Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...

 in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....

, England. It was completed in 1801 to the designs of John Sanders (architect)

John Sanders (architect)

John Sanders was an architect and the first pupil of Sir John Soane. Sanders was born on 12 April, 1768, the son of Thomas Sanders, a tallow-chandler of the parish of St Dunstan-in-the-East, London...

, who also designed the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

. In 1969 it was a declared a Listed building at Grade II*, due to its outstanding historic or architectural special interest.

The building was originally called the Royal Military Asylum and was a school for the children of soldiers' widows. In 1892 it was renamed the Duke of York's Royal Military School

Duke of York's Royal Military School

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, more commonly called the Duke of York’s, is a co-educational Academy with military traditions in Dover, Kent, open to pupils whose parents are serving or have served in any branch of the United Kingdom armed forces for a minimum of 4 years...

. In 1909, the school moved to new premises in Dover, and the Asylum building was renamed the Duke of York's Barracks. The court martial of Theodore Schurch

Theodore Schurch

Theodore William John Schurch was an Anglo-Swiss soldier who was executed for treachery following the end of the Second World War. He was the last person to be executed in Britain for an offence other than murder.-Early life:...

 (tried under the Treachery Act 1940

Treachery Act 1940

The Treachery Act 1940 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland enacted during World War II to facilitate the prosecution and execution of enemy spies, and suspended after the war and later repealed...

) was held there in September 1945. Its last military use under its present name was as a Territorial Army base.

The site was sold to Cadogan Estates

Cadogan Estates

Cadogan Estates Ltd is a property company owned by the Earl Cadogan, one of the richest families in the United Kingdom. It is the main landlord in the central London districts of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, and is now the second largest of the surviving aristocratic freehold estates in central...

 by the Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

, with initial proceeds of £66 million received in 2000 and a further £28 million when the site was vacated in 2003.
Cadogan has redeveloped the site with Paul Davis and Partners as Duke of York Square. The development includes a public square, upmarket housing and retail outlets, and part of it has been let as new premises for the Saatchi Gallery

Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art, opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985 in order to exhibit his collection to the public. It has occupied different premises, first in North London, then the South Bank by the River Thames and currently in Chelsea. Saatchi's collection, and...

, which relocated there in 2008.